Sins & Omissions
by Selvet
Summary: After secretly searching for his long lost daughter, what will Commander Taylor do when she actually shows up in Terra Nova? Will Lucas still be able to continue his plans to destroy Terra Nova, now that it is his sister's new home? - AU - ON HIATUS
1. August, 2138

Okay, some info so you don't get confused… I am giving Commander Taylor a second kid in this story, a younger daughter. I'm going to change some things to make this stuff fit better. Lucas will not have his calculations fixed by the 11th, instead it will be the 12th. My story is going to begin before the finale, when they are still looking for the mole. I'm hoping to possibly still have some Lucas/Skye stuff but there won't be a Josh/Skye for sure, and no Josh/Kara, lol Kara does not exist here. There will be some Reynon too and possibly some Taylor/Wash because yeah, she's alive still LOL :D I haven't written fanfics in a while so bear with me pleasee

Blood. Screams. People running. Children crying for their parents. Men shouting in foreign words. Soldiers fighting, soldiers falling. Everywhere.

It was obvious that the rebels were winning. The American soldiers were losing hope as they watched more of their comrades die, some even running home to protect their own families.

A young, dark-haired woman came running towards one the base's main buildings. Behind her ran a teenage boy carrying a little girl. Fear covered their faces as they watched the horror unfold around them.

"Nathaniel!" she yelled. "Nathaniel, where are you?"

A man came bounding down the stairs of the building, towards the open doorway to meet up with the woman.

"Ayani? What the hell are you doing out here?" the man said, frustrated. He motioned for them to come inside then quickly shut the door.

"Nathaniel, what's going on?" she asked frantically.

"The rebels, they're trying to take the city…they are _not_ happy that we are here…c'mon it's not safe right here…" Nathaniel lead his family to a back room.

"Lucas, that box next to you…open it and get out any weapons you can find," he said to the boy. Lucas put his little sister on the ground and turned to the grey toolbox. Kneeling in front of it, he opened it quickly, hands shaking. Pulling out two small hand guns, his eyebrows furrowed.

"How are _these_ supposed to do anything?" Lucas's voice shook, a mixture of anger and fear.

Nathaniel looked up, seeing the guns he cursed quietly. "Is that all that's in there?"

Lucas nodded then handed one to his father.

Trying to take even breaths, Nathaniel rubbed his brow and shut his eyes. He had to stay calm, he needed his family to stay calm.

"Lucas, do you remember how to use that?" he nodded at the second gun in his son's hand.

"Yeah, it's not too hard…"

"What are you planning to have him do exactly?" his wife gasped. She did not want her 14-year-old son to use any sort of weapon.

"It's just in case," he reassured her. "Lucas, go sit by your mother, keep low, okay? Do _not_ stand up. Do you understand?"

The frightened family nodded.

Nathaniel took a seat next to his wife, tried to give her a reassuring smile. It was hard to be convincing when all they could here was gunshots and screams.

The little girl, who had been silently sitting beside her mother, crawled towards Nathaniel. Her dark wavy, brown hair was horribly tangled from running through all of the wind outside.

She squeezed between her parents, facing her father.

"Emma, please sit still." Trying to distract herself, Ayani had begun her own little mission to undo the knots in her child's messy hair.

She winced but did not complain, as if she understood not to make the situation any worse than it already was. She only watched her father's face.

"Daddy…" Emma whispered.

Nathaniel looked down at her, seeing her brown eyes deep with fear.

"Come here, Peanut," he said, using a nickname he tended to use for small children. He pulled her onto his lap and held her close. "you're going to be okay, I will not let _anyone_ hurt you." Emma looked up at him and gave him her most adorable crooked smile. He laughed quietly and hugged her.

Cradling Emma with one arm, he held Ayani's hand with the other. Lucas's fear allowed him to hold his mother's hand for comfort as well. He felt childish, but less afraid.

As if on que, bullets were suddenly flying over their heads. Through the walls and the windows. The rebels were shooting right through the building, hoping to hit as many people as they could, and render the rest helpless.

Nathaniel threw his arm over Ayani, trying to reach his son as well.

"Stay down!" he shouted.

Eyes squeezed shut, Emma clung to her father, to terrified to make a single sound.

When the shooting ceased, the rebels poured into the building in search of any survivors. Nathaniel felt himself being yanked up off the ground, then his daughter being ripped from his arms.

He heard his family yelling for him as they were also grabbed. He could see them being dragged out of the room, and soon the men holding him followed.

"Let my family go!" he shouted, fighting to get free. "I will kill you! Don't you dare hurt them!"

As they were taken outside, Nathaniel was shocked and horrified to see most of his soldiers and their families lined up in the town square. Many of them wounded, blood covering everything.

The men shoved them into the line. Emma clung to Lucas's leg, almost hiding behind him.

"What's going on? What are they going to do to us?" Ayani whispered to Nathaniel.

"I don't know…" He eyed what looked like a firing squad.

Wiping the sweat from his brow then taking a deep breath, he stepped out of line.

"I want to speak to whoever is in charge."

One of the rebels marched over and pointed his gun at Nathaniel's face.

"Step. Back. In. Line. _Now_."

Not even flinching, he repeated himself. "I want to speak to whoever is _in charge_."

*Click!* The man turned the gun's safety off and arched his eyebrows.

"Put your gun down, He only wishes to speak to me." A taller man walked over. The rebel quickly backed away.

"What do you want from us? The city? Take it. Do you want to kill _me_? Do it. But leave my people and their families alone. They are innocent."

"And why are _you_ so important that we would care to take your life in exchange for all of these hostages?"

Nathaniel took a long look at _his _soldiers, _his _men. He was responsible for them. "Because they are my soldiers. This is my base. I am in charge."

The rebel leader chuckled. "You _were _charge. Now I am." He looked down at a list of names in his hands. "So you must be Commander Nathaniel Taylor?"

Nathaniel nodded.

"And this must be your family?" the leader eyed Ayani, Lucas, and Emma behind Nathaniel.

"Yes."

"Beautiful family," the man grinned mischievously before continuing. "Well back to what we want, Commander Taylor. We already have the city, and killing you alone, well that would do _nothing_. No…I have a better idea. Call your soldiers forward."

"What?"

"_Call your soldiers forward._" His voice had grown low, almost dangerous.

Nathaniel gave the order for his man to step out of line as well then looked back to the rebel for further instruction.

"You may all pick one."

"Pick…?" Nathaniel's face grew confused.

"One person." The man raised his voice so all of the soldiers could hear. "Each soldier may pick one person to…keep. The rest will…die." The rebel said, then turned back to the Commander, who's face had gone pale. "That, is what we want," he said, smirking. Then he turned and walked towards the firing squad.

Nathaniel turned to his family with a dazed look. Ayani glared at him as if to say, 'don't you _dare_ pick me.'

Lucas picked up his little sister and held her close. He knew it was between him and Emma. His mother would never let him pick her.

"Dad…" he began, "you have to pick Emma."

The little girl clung to her brother, burying her face in his neck as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Along the line, soldiers were backing away with the person they had picked. A few were lucky enough to only have one to start out with, or no family with them at all.

All of a sudden, the leader ordered them to halt. There was a "change in plans."

The soldiers turned, standing in front of their loved ones as if to shield them. All of them afraid that he had decided to simply kill them all.

He approached Nathaniel.

"The children…we're keeping them."

"_What?_" Nathaniel stuttered.

"The children, six and under. You see, we need some of you to die, to teach you a lesson for trying to take over our country," the leader spat. "And we need some good leverage…I believe it is called a prisoner exchange. When we get our people back, the children will be returned."

Nathaniel felt sick to his stomach. Emma was five, just making the cut to become a hostage.

"Relax, Commander. This should make it easier to decide."

He signaled to his men to grab the few children who were young enough. When one of the rebels tore Emma from Lucas's arms, Nathaniel lost it.

"LET HER GO!" he demanded. Remembering the gun tucked behind him, he whipped it out.

"Be careful, you might…miss," the rebel joked, daring to use his daughter as a shield.

Only focusing on his crying child, he failed to hear two more rebels come up from behind. They knocked the gun out of his hand and tackled him to the ground, pinning his arms behind his back.

Continuing to struggle, Nathaniel watched as Emma was carried away. Ayani was sobbing and Lucas was ready to also fight back, but another rebel held him back.

"DADDY!" Emma was shrieking. She kicked wildly, tears blinding her vision.

"Emma!" he yelled back, fighting harder.

*Click!* Nathaniel's head snapped up. The leader had pointed his gun at Lucas. "Commander, you are _not_ helping. Now pick your person, or I will kill them all."

Nathaniel glanced at the other families who had also just seen their youngest child be taken. Many were also being held back.

He nodded._ They aren't going to kill her,_ he told himself. _The US government, they'd get them back. Not doing anything would make them look bad._

His mind felt foggy. The children's cries had ceased, or maybe they could just no longer be heard from inside the building in which they had been taken. Gunshots were heard down the line as the firing squad took their first victims.

He looked at his wife. She closed her eyes trying to fight the tears back. She nodded at her husband, telling him it was okay to choose.

"I love you." she mouthed.

He closed his eyes tight, wishing for this all to be just a dream. He re-opened them and looked at Ayani, eyes sad.

"Well, who do you pick?" said the rebel.

Eyes not leaving his wife, who stood strong, he took a deep breath.

"Lucas."


	2. You Found Me

I was SO tired when I wrote this but I wanted to keep writing, so it might not be at it's best lol. But thanks for the nice reviews so far(:

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><p>11 years later…<p>

**Terra Nova:**

"How's the mole hunt going, Shannon?" Jim heard someone say behind him. Turning around, he saw an exhausted looking Commander Taylor.

"Uh, good…slow. I was just following up on a new lead, actually…" Jim's voice trailed off as he notice the stressed look on Taylor's face. He'd looked like this quite a bit lately. Jim wasn't sure if it was because of the Sixers, the mole, or maybe even his son. "We'll catch the spy…don't worry."

"What? Oh of course." Taylor rubbed his brow then continued. "So what is this new lead? How close do you think you are to finding them?"

"Well, I -" Jim was cut off by Wash's hurried voice.

"Sir, I've got something you should see, I think I found…" Wash eyed Jim's curious expression. "Maybe we should speak about this in private?"

Taylor nodded. "Let's talk in my office…Shannon, we'll finish our conversation later, keep following that lead and let me know what you come up with." Without another word Taylor and Wash rushed off.

Jim arched his eyebrows wondering what could have Commander Taylor so wound up, _besides_ the obvious Sixer problem.

Taylor walked into the room and sat at his desk as Wash shut the door.

"What did you find, Wash?" he asked anxiously.

"Her…well I think I found her anyways." Wash quickly handed him the tablet* she had been holding.

"I was looking around and found some old news reports about a group of hostage children finally being rescued in Somalia," Wash pointed to the open article on the tablet screen. "Most were reunited with their families, but three…were put into foster care. They were unable to locate the families. There were two girls and a boy…"

Taylor continued to read the article from 2141 as Wash continued. November, 2141...he had been working on the Terra Nova Project. It had almost been finished and he went through the portal at the very beginning of 2142. He wondered why he had never been contacted... the project had been top secret, but it wasn't as if he had been on lock-down. How had he not heard about this?

"…they weren't named in the article but I _was _able to access some social services files on the three children and found this girl…"

Wash brought up a small file onto the screen. There was a picture of a young girl. She had brown eyes, and dark brown hair, a familiar face. Next to her photo it said, 'Emmalin Taylor, Age: 16, Location: Chicago, IL, Birthday: December 7, 2133..." Taylor stopped reading there.

He stared at it with disbelief, re-reading over and over again as if to make sure he was seeing it correctly.

Wash could see the utter shock on his face. "Sir?…Is that.. is it _her_?" she asked slowly.

Taylor's brow furrowed. She was alive. She'd been alive this whole time? He looked at Wash and simply nodded, finding himself speechless.

His daughter was _alive._

"What do you want to do, sir?"

After a long pause, Taylor took a deep breath and looked back at the photo of the girl.

"Send a request to have her recruited. Get her here."

Wash hesitantly nodded, then walked out without a word.

Taylor sighed, still trying to take in this miraculous miracle. "I found you." he smiled.

1 week later…

**Chicago, 2149**

Emma quickly walked through the dark hallways and up the narrow stairways to her foster family's apartment.

She practically burst into the room, shutting the thick steel door behind her. She ripped of her re-breather and took in a deep gulp of the cleaner, filtered air. Emma couldn't stand having to walk home from school. It felt like she had to hold her breath most of the way to keep from breathing in the toxic air. By the time she would reach the apartment, her lungs felt ready to explode. Re-breathers these days were simply useless pieces of plastic that covered your mouth and nose. The only time she ever got a taste of uncontaminated air was in the apartment. Even at school the air wasn't well filtered, kids were constantly coughing, some even tried to wear their re-breathers in class.

Emma took a minute to catch her breath before setting her backpack down on the kitchen counter. She pulled off her jacket and tossed it up onto her top bunk.

"How was school?" her foster mom, Jody, asked as she walked in carrying a little girl.

"Emma!" the little girl squealed happily when she saw her foster sister. She reached out her chubby arms, opening and closing her fists, a clear sign that she wanted Emma to hold her.

"Hey, Peanut!" Emma grinned, using the nickname her father had often used for her when she was little. She took the toddler in her arms, slightly bouncing her up and down. "School was fine. Ms. Williams had me help teach the 4th graders some guitar chords today…it's a working progress for sure," Emma joked. Jody laughed as she went to the kitchen to start deciding what to do for dinner.

Suddenly someone was knocking, well banging, on the front door. All of their heads snapped up. They exchanged anxious glances as Jody made her way to the door, opening it cautiously.

Outside stood two men in uniform, they looked like Hope Plaza soldiers.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," the first soldier said.

"Hello, can I help you with something?"

"We're looking for an Emmalin Taylor, we have a message for her."

Confusion swept across Jody's face, then Emma's. Why would Hope Plaza soldiers be looking for her? She'd never even been _near_ that place, except in the 8th grade when her glass took a little field trip there.

"I-I'm Emmalin Taylor…" Emma stepped forward from behind Jody. Placing the little girl back in her mother's arms, she took Jody's place in the doorway.

"Good, this is for you, Miss." The second soldier handed her an envelope. He gave her a funny look, as if he hadn't expected the recipiant to be so young.

Emma held it in her hands, reading the front. Yep, it was from Hope Plaza. But _what _was _it _exactly?

"What's this for?"

"Open it," said the first soldier, a grin spreading across his face. This was his favorite part of his job, delivering these letters.

Emma hurriedly ripped it open, taking out the letter then unfolding it.

'_We would like to inform you that a recruitment offer has been sent for you from the head of Terra Nova. If you would like to accept this offer, please let Hope Plaza know as soon as possible. The 11__th__ pilgrimage departs from Hope Plaza in Chicago in three weeks. A spot on the list will be saved for you, but it is important that you respond quickly. Thank you.'_ the brief letter read.

"A-are y-you sure this is for _me_? Why would Terra Nova, _the head_ of Terra Nova want to recruit _me_?" Emma stared at the soldiers, wide-eyed.

"We aren't given the reasons, Miss. But I would definitely suggest taking this offer. Terra Nova is a great opportunity," said the second soldier.

Emma nodded, still in shock about the letter. She had heard about Terra Nova. A places for second chances, a new beginning.

"We will be returning later this week to take your answer."

She quickly glanced back at Jody's stunned expression, then back at the soldiers who were already turning to leave. She knew that taking time to think about it would only scare her. And the soldier was right. Terra Nova was a chance for people to start over. And Emma knew that was _exactly_ what she needed.

"Wait! Uh, don't bother. I…uh, I accept the offer."

"Alright," the second soldier said, smiling as he quickly typed something onto the tablet in his hand. "We'll be in touch about the 11th pilgrimage soon." The soldiers walked away as Emma shut the door.

Leaning against the metal, Emma took a deep breath. "Oh my God…. I'm going to _Terra Nova_!" she gasped.

Jody simply stared at her, eyes wide.

Later that night, Emma lay in bed, trying to figure out why the head of Terra Nova would want her to go there. She didn't even know who the head of Terra Nova was!

She climbed down off of her bunk and went to the kitchen table. She picked up Jody's tablet and searched 'Terra Nova'. As the web links popped up with articles about the new found time fracture, Emma clicked on the first one.

The article talked about the time fracture being discovered, and in January of 2142, the first man went through, followed by a small group of soldiers and researchers. The man's name was Commander Nathaniel Taylor.

Emma's jaw dropped, her heart was pounding in her ears as she read the name over again. This wasn't possible. This was _not _possible. How had he found her? After all of these years? Why? Her shock was soon overwhelmed by frustration, wondering why he had gone to Terra Nova when she had been out there, waiting for him to come back for her. But soon enough, her frustration was taken away by the joy that he hadn't just forgotten about her completely, he had looked for her _and _found her, and was now going to get her to his new home.

"You found me," Emma whispered.

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><p>lol trust me, she's not going to be just okay with the fact that he kind of abandoned her. i'll definitly go back to all of the emotions and scars she kind of has from being alone for so long. right now emma's just sort of in this "daze" that she's going to see her family again. i'll be trying to update once a day. :D lol please leave reviews and any suggestions you have(: i like to read comments! xx<p> 


	3. A Whole New World

Aha! Loving the reviews so far! Thanks :D

**Misty:** aha! no i wasn't planning on doing that, shes upset w/ him but not wanting to kill him or anything

**LadyStrider17:** thankyou! i could NOTTT remember for the life of me what it was called!

well hope u guys like this chapter :)

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><p><strong>Chicago, 2149:<strong>

"Are you absolutely sure that you want to go?" Jody asked sadly as people began to board the train to Hope Plaza.

"Yes, of course! Trust me, I'm going to miss you two _soo_ much! I wish you could come with me," Emma replied giving Jody and her daughter a tight hug. "Jody, thank you for being such a great mom to me the past four years. I was really luck to end up on your doorstep after some of the other places I've been…"

"Oh, Emma…don't…don't make me sound better than I really was."

"I'm serious. _Thankyou_." Emma gave Jody another hug. "Well, I better go. Wouldn't want to miss the train."

Emma's eyes began to tear up as she waved goodbye to foster family. She watched as her little foster sister's lip quivered as she waved goodbye. Jody had been an excellent foster parent, especially considering she worked two jobs, had her own daughter and was a single parent already. She was one of those people that was truly genuine. She was never a foster mom for the government check, she did it because she loved helping people. Emma appreciated that. She had always wished that Jody could have adopted her officially, but since her parents had never actually given her up it complicated things. Emma had just been happy to be able to stay with this foster family for so long. She could hardly imagine life without them.

She slipped on her re-breather as she boarded the crowded train, immediately finding a pole to grasp onto. The train jerked as it started, almost causing Emma to topple over. She gripped the pole in a death-hold, closing her eyes, trying to calm her heart rate down. She let her mind wander, back to her childhood in Somalia before the rebels took over. When she still had her father, mother, and Lucas. The thought of being with them again, minus her mother sadly, both excited her and scared her. The mixed emotions made her feel sick to her stomach. But none the less, she would have her family back, and that's all she could really ask for.

**Terra Nova:**

As the large crew of soldiers and medical staff prepared to head out for the portal, Wash ran up in search of Jim Shannon.

"Shannon!" she called through the crowd of soldiers. It was difficult to tell them apart at times because of their identical uniforms. "Hey Reynolds, have you seen Jim Shannon?" Wash asked the nearest soldier.

Mark Reynolds looked around quickly then shrugged. "Sorry Lieutenant, I haven't seen him," Mark said apologetically.

Wash turned and quickly spotted him standing with his wife over by the other doctors as they spoke with some of the group. He stood out for sure, being the only one in the group with armor.

"Hey! Shannon!" she called to him, signaling him over.

Jim jogged over quickly, looking concerned. "What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked as he analyzed the Lieutenant's anxious face.

"The Commander would like to speak with you before you leave."

"Alright," Jim turned to his wife. "Elisabeth! I'll be right back!"

She nodded, then turning to resume a conversation with her intern, Skye, who was helping out on her first pilgrimage.

"Sir…" Wash opened the door to Taylor's office, Jim following her inside.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Uh…yes…there is a very serious matter I need to discuss with you," Taylor stood from his chair and walked over to Jim. "You've done enough for me that I'm hoping I can really trust you with this…"

Jim nodded, "Of course, sir."

"…There's, someone coming through on this pilgrimage today that is…well, very important to me. I want you to keep and eye on her, protect her."

"Sir, isn't that what I'm already supposed to do? Protect the pilgrims?" Jim arched his right eyebrow.

Taylor went to his desk, no responding, picking up his plex-pad and handing it to Jim.

"Her name is Emma."

Jim stared at the photo of the girl on the screen. She looked young, maybe about Maddy's age.

"May I ask, who is this and why is she so important that she needs a personal body guard?" Jim was beginning to get suspicious.

Taylor and Wash exchanged glances, Jim simply raised his eyebrows higher as he awaited an explanation.

Half sitting on his glass-dinosaur skull desk, Taylor cleared his throat, attempting to find the right words.

"She's…she's my _daughter_."

Taylor eyed Jim's surprised expression warily.

"Y-you're daughter? Since _when_ do you have another kid besides Lucas?" Jim watched Taylor flinch at the sound of his son's name. "_Wait, _did you know about this too?" Jim's wide eyes shifted to Wash, who only shrugged.

"Yes, she is my daughter. She's 16, and Wash did indeed know about it. She's the only one who does, well until now."

Jim stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't help but be a bit frustrated that Taylor had left him out on this. Sure it was a personal matter, but it wasn't as if the Commander didn't already confide in him about other things about his family. He had talked to him about Lucas and even Ayani a couple times but never this _Emma_.

"But _now_ is not the time for explanations. I believe you have a convoy and about 100 pilgrims waiting for you." Taylor said, returning to his chair.

Jim sighed. "I'll keep an eye on her, sir," he promised as he left.

Taylor leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, trying to rid his brain of the on-coming migraine.

**Hope Plaza:**

Emma quickly passed through security, making her way closer and closer to Terra Nova, to her family.

But the closer she got, the more nervous she felt. Her hands were shaking and her stomach felt queasy. She gazed around the enormous building, terrified she would get lost in the sea of people. She clenched her fists and nodded to herself. _You can do this_, she told herself. Shoving her way through the crowds she stumbled out at the line in front of the door that lead to the portal. It wasn't going to open for another ten minutes.

Emma groaned, feeling very impatient. She just wanted to get through the portal already. She fidgeted with her hair, her hands, her clothes, making it _very_ obvious that she was nervous. And every time her mind wandered off to what she would say or do when she saw her father, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She had no clue what she would possibly say or how she would feel! The emotions made her head spin.

"Wow, don't you look like a nervous wreck!" a voice behind her joked.

Being he "nervous wreck" that she was at the moment, Emma jumped in surprise, spinning around.

"Aha!" she laughed. "Jumpy too, I see."

Emma stared at the girl. She didn't look mean or anything. She was tall, had fiery hair and a big smile. Her piercing green eyes stared right back at her, confused why Emma was acting so serious.

"I'm just joking, kid." the girl said.

"Sorry…I'm just nervous as hell. I can't see to stop shaking!" Emma laughed weakly.

"We _all _are, don't worry. I'm Avery Mace." the girl reached out to shake Emma's hand.

"Emma, Emma Taylor."

"Are you here on your own?" Avery asked.

"Yeah, are you?"

"Yep, but I'm 18, you look like you're fourteen, no offense."

Emma's brow furrowed. She hated when people noted on how she looked so young for her age, but usually acted older than it. "I'm sixteen, actually."

Avery nodded and laughed, trying to ease the tension again. "Still pretty young to be time traveling on your own, don't you think?"

Emma rolled her eyes as she laughed along.

When the doors opened, the large group slowly began to walk along the bridge leading to the bright blue portal. Emma watched as Avery's red hair flew around crazily. She laughed as she tightened her ponytail, very pleased with herself for choosing a good hairstyle for the day.

They squinted as the blue lights flashed whenever another person entered the portal. Emma's mind was racing. _Keep. Going._ she repeated to herself. _Do not even think about turning back!_

Before they knew it, it was Avery's turn. She stepped up bravely. "Well, here we go…a whole new world," and she disappeared into the lights.

Emma gulped, gripping her backpack straps so tightly her palms felt like they were burning. _WALK, _she told herself. And she found herself moving forward, as if her legs were no longer controlled by her protesting mind.

"_A whole new world_," she repeated Avery's words.

**Terra Nova:**

Emma gasped when she opened her eyes. There was so much…_green_! She had never seen so much color in her entire life. Everything back in 2149 was so grey and brown, dirty. But not here. She took in a deep breath of the clean, fresh air.

Looking around, Emma suddenly realized the presence of many other people. She had been so distracted with the view she had forgot she what she was doing. She quickly looked around, catching the eye of a concerned older soldier, then seeing Avery sitting on the dirt ground beside a large tree. A pretty doctor and a young girl, about her age, leaned over her.

"Avery!" Emma gasped, her eyes deep with worry. She squatted down next to her new friend. "What happened? Is she okay?" She glanced up at the doctor and the other girl.

"Yes, she just isn't used to the air. This happens all the time. She just needs a minute to breathe. Don't worry," the doctor said, her British accent surprised Emma.

The doctor held a oxygen mask over Avery's mouth and nose, sort of like a re-breather. She looked at Emma again. "Are you two together? Where are your families?" she asked.

Emma shook her head. "No, we just met at Hope Plaza. We're both here by ourselves. Uh, her name is Avery Mace."

"You're by yourselves?" the doctor seemed startled. "You're so young…"

"Um yeah…I'm 16. Avery's 18 though. And uh, don't worry, ha…I'm uh one my own a lot." Emma made a crooked smile, trying to assure her that her being alone was no big deal.

The doctor looked at Emma who had redirected her attention to the nature around her. _Poor thing…all alone in this new place_, she thought.

"I'm Dr. Shannon, this is Skye, my intern," she pointed to the girl next to her. "And this is my husband, Jim." Emma jerked her head around. Behind her stood a tall man in armor, the same man who had been watching her when she came through the portal.

"I'm Emma …Taylor." Emma quickly averted eye contact. She wasn't really sure if anyone else knew who she was yet.

The soldier, Jim, fidgeted when she told them her name.

"I-I'm okay now…" Avery finally spoke, taking off the mask. "Thanks, Dr. Shannon." She slowly got to her feet, as did Emma, the doctor, and Skye.

"Well I think that was the last of the pilgrims," Jim said. "We're starting to move out."

Emma and Avery looked around as all of the pilgrims and Terra Nova staff began to follow a couple of vehicles. The soldiers all had their guns in their arms, as if they were expecting danger and would need them at a moment's notice.

"Come on, you two. You can walk with us," Dr. Shannon said, smiling.

The girls grinned and followed after them. Jim chuckled to himself about how his wife was actually unknowingly making his little job from Commander Taylor so much easier.

As they continued to walk in silence, Skye finally spoke up, mostly to Emma it seemed like.

"So, were you guys recruits or lottery?" it was a similar questions she had asked Josh Shannon on his first day, a few months ago.

"Lottery. Probably the best day of my life," Avery replied happily as she tied her tangled hair up in a ponytail.

"Uh, same…" Emma lied. How would she explain how a sixteen year old girl with no family had been recruited? She had nothing to offer, and she didn't really want to get into the whole family situation talk either. She hardly knew herself.

Jim, who was walking closely behind them, arched his eyebrows in surprise when he heard Emma's white lie. He knew that the people who were recruited, well they _knew_ they had been recruited, so why had the kid lied about it? He watched as Skye nodded, looking unconvinced as well.

He felt himself studying the young girl's face, trying to find her resemblance to Taylor. It was very minimal. Mostly limited to facial expressions. Her hair was a possibility but it was hard to know, considering the Commander had grey hair at this point. Her eyes were also a light brown, maybe hazel? He thought as he noticed some flecks of green. It was hard to tell from a distance. He shrugged to himself, considering he had never seen her mother, nor would he ever, so he would just have to assume that she took after Ayani.

Emma glanced back at Jim a couple of times, but when she caught him already looking at her, she quickly turned back, embarrassed. _Why is he staring at me?_ she asked herself. _Does he know?_ She shook her head. Why would just some random soldier know that she had actually been recruited, that her father was the leader of the colony. Of course he didn't know, she decided. No one probably knew.

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><p>i'm going to try to have the next chapter up tomorrow where they meet finally! but it's definitly going to take me a little while to write it, but thanks for the reviews os far! hope u liked this chapterrr<p> 


	4. Unforgivable

OMG I'M SOOO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE! lol i had so much to do on thursday night, and last night i was too exhausted to finish writing. thankyou for the nice reviews :) hope u like this chapter!

**LadyStrider17: **LOL i honestly havent completely decided if avery will be good or bad yet myself..hmmmm and yeah, lucas's situation will be an interesting thing to explain :O

**Pixie Queen Mesa: **hm maybe she will! maybe she can try to change him and his mind about destroying their father :D

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><p>"Whoa…" Emma and Avery said in unison as the convoy approached Terra Nova.<p>

The large, wooden gates loomed over them, making the newcomers feel like ants. Guards that stood in the watch towers, waved down at the crowed.

"Welcome!" they called. A few kids jumped up and down, waving back.

Emma's eyes grew wide with fear and curiosity as the long neck of a dinosaur rose from the trees to their right.

"Look!" she gasped, pointing goat the enormous creature. All of the new things fascinated her, causing her to act like a child at a zoo, pointing out everything in excitement to the closest person.

As the gates were raised, the pilgrims stumbled in, taking in all of the sights. Eying the little market with all of the delicious looking fruits she had never seen before, Emma suddenly realized how hungry she was. The nerves had kept her from eating a big breakfast that morning. Now as a consequence, she had to suppress the urge to run over and scarf down the foreign foods.

The group rallied around in front of a tall fort like building, two guards standing on each side of the doorway. They looked around, whispering to one and another, unsure of what to do next.

"What's going on?" Emma whispered to very, not noticing the doors as they began to open. She looked around for Dr. Shannon and Skye, but they had disappeared.

"I'm not sure," Avery replied quietly.

Emma turned her head to look over her shoulder at the gates. They were closed now. She also began to notice that the pilgrims and soldiers were the only ones out there it seemed, but she failed to notice the man now standing on the balcony looking down at them.

"Citizens of 2150*!" a voice boomed.

The crowd grew quiet, all staring up at the man above them. Emma spun around, her eyes wandering up to the balcony as well.

"My name is Commander Nathaniel Taylor," the man continued.

Emma sucked in a sharp breath. It was _him_. He was _right there_.

As he continued, Emma found it hard to focus on his words. She watched his face carefully, studying it. It was the same strong face she remembered. His hard, tough face, but soft blue eyes. She remembered how her friends were always scared of him because he looked so tough, but Emma knew that he wasn't always such a soldier. The only "drastic" change she could see was his hair color. The sandy brown colored hair he had shared with her older brother had faded to grey. But otherwise, he seemed to look like the same father she remembered. She wondered if he really was though. _Looks can be deceiving,_ she thought sadly.

As Taylor continued his speech, he innocently scanned the crowd in search of his daughter. He eyed a young girl standing in the back with a taller red-head girl. She seemed unsettled when it came to her body language. But she was watching him intently, her eyes bearing into him. She actually looked almost…angry. Taylor tried to ignore it. Her eyes did not shift in the slightest bit when he looked right back at her. Then for some reason, he found himself faltering on his words, suddenly nervous. He glanced at her, she arched her eyebrows in response.

Trying to regain his train of thought, he quickly broke eye contact with Emma, who crossed her arms, slightly annoyed, though she wasn't completely sure why.

"Welcome to Terra Nova, everyone. Welcome _h_o_me_," Taylor finished his speech. _Home_, Emma thought, feeling herself beginning to smile, then quickly looking agitated again when she caught Taylor staring at her again.

The crowd clapped joyfully as Taylor waved at them all, smile broadening. When he caught Jim's eye, he nodded towards Emma, then back at his office. Jim mouthed, "Okay," then making his way towards the girl as the crowd began to disperse.

Taylor quickly returned back into his office.

Emma's smile faded when she saw Jim Shannon approaching her, a serious look in his eyes.

"Emma, right?" he asked.

She bobbed her head up and down in response.

"Could you come with me, please? The Commander would like to speak with you."

Emma felt her heart beginning to pound in her ears, just like it had when she found out why she had been recruited and by whom.

Avery's eyebrows made a slight crease. "Why would Commander Taylor want to see her?"

"Uh…" Jim looked around quickly, not really having a good excuse, he looked for another solution. "Riley!" he waved another soldier down.

"Yeah?" she said, walking over.

"Could you please show this young lady to her new house?" he said, pointing to Avery.

"Certainly, this way."

Avery sighed, she was obviously not wanted there at the moment, so she thought it best to just go. "Okay, see ya later, Emma. It was nice to meet you."

Emma waved back, then looked up at Jim.

"Follow me," Jim said, heading towards the fort and up the stairs.

Emma gulped, or tried to anyways. Her throat and mouth felt uncomfortably dry. She struggled to keep walking forward instead of just bolting in the opposite direction.

When they reached the top of the stairs, a woman with jet black hair that was tied back in a slick ponytail came up to them.

"I've got it from here, Shannon," she said. "You can put your backpack over here." The woman gestured to her large pack then the ground by the door.

Emma quickly looked up to him, wondering why he didn't continue with her. He simply smiled and gave her an reassuring nod, telling her to go forward.

She put her backpack down quickly. Jim leaned against the railing as Wash led Emma to the door. Wash opened it, motioning for the girl to enter, but Emma's feet felt like they were planted to the ground.

"You'll be _fine_." she heard the soldier say, giving her a slight push.

Emma took a deep, _deep_ breath, then marched into the room, the door shutting behind her.

She looked to her left first, seeing an empty desk and a bunch of security camera videos on the wall. Then she shifted her gaze to her right.

The first she thing she noticed was the giant dinosaur skull under the glass desk. _Then _she became aware of the man sitting behind it.

Commander Nathaniel Taylor…her _father_…sat in his chair silently. His bright blue eyes simply watched her as she moved farther into the room, her confidence building itself back up slowly.

She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact though, so she continued to explore the large, mostly empty room. He continued to sit, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, hands intertwined with each other in front of him. He tried to look comfortable and calm, but Emma knew better.

Taylor watched the girl, she made her way around the room anxiously, as if she were searching for something. The right words, perhaps. He couldn't help but notice her resemblance to Ayani. Emma had the same dark, wavy hair, the same hazel eyes. People always said how Lucas definitely took after Nathaniel, and it was obvious that Emma took after her mother.

"You…can have a seat, if you'd like," he finally spoke, motioning to a chair in front of his desk.

His gravely voice had startled her after the long silence, but luckily it hadn't been too obvious.

Emma shook her head. "I'd rather stand," she said, not even looking at him to see his eyebrows arch in surprise at the almost…sassy reply.

He began to stand, moving the side of his desk, one hand still on the glass. "Em -" he started, but was quickly cut off.

"Eleven years, 5 months and 26 days."

He cocked his head to the side. "Pardon?"

"11 years, 5 months and 26 days…since the last time you saw me, since I saw you, _and_ Lucas, _and_…and Mom," she said, turning around to finally face him, though her eyes flitted downwards when she mentioned her mother.

She saw the hurt in his eyes, but assumed it was her mentioning her mother, as it also pained her to speak about that situation. She was still clueless to the fact that it was Lucas that made him upset now.

"11 years, 5 months and 26 days," she said again. "_That_ is how long I was missing. And you've been here for what… seven? So I want to know something…why _now_? What suddenly made you decide to start looking for me?" Emma felt her voice rising. Taylor continued to stand there, silent.

"Huh? I mean _where were you_?" her voice cracked, tears threatening to drown her cheeks. "All of these years, where were you…?"

Taylor opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the right words. He knew whatever he said would probably be 'wrong'.

Emma hardly noticed his attempt to speak, quickly continuing. "Where were you when I spent my 6th _and _7th birthdays in a _shack_ in Somalia? Where were you the day we were rescued, and I was left alone in the airport, waiting for you to come for me, but the only person who did was a social worker. Where were you, when I was twelve and my foster dad was on a bender and _threw me down a flight of stairs_ and I spent three weeks in the hospital with two broken ribs, a broken arm, and a severe concussion, _then_ had to go back and live with them for another month? " Emma's eyes were blazing, the frustration making her shake.

Taylor's eyes were sad, hurt, shocked, and guilty all at once. His mouth slightly agape as he listened.

"Why? _Why weren't you there_?" Her throat was burning, she felt as if she were choking as she tried to keep the sobs down and the tears from falling. "I haven't had a family, a _real _family, in _eleven years_! So what the _hell _makes you think that I need one, or even _want_ one, now?*" she snapped at him.

Emma was gasping for air. Her heart pounding so hard it hurt, her palms sweaty, her eyes moist. She looked away briefly to wipe her eyes. She quickly glared at him again, her brow furrowed. She clenched her fists hard, her nails dug into her flesh but she ignored it. She stood there, waiting for him to speak.

Taylor was shocked to feel his own eyes beginning to water. The last time he had felt this way was when he discovered what Lucas had been doing behind his back, and seeing the hatred flashing in his eyes. But this was almost worse. Her resemblance to her mother made it hurt more, as if it was Ayani instead of Emma, yelling at him. It pained him to see the anger and frustration in her.

"I thought you were dead," he said finally. He cast his eyes downward, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"_What?_" she said, her brow furrowed as she squinted through the tears.

"I thought…that you were dead. That's what I was told, by the government. They told me that they were not going to…do anything, and that you were probably already dead."

Emma gave a short, dark laugh. "Probably… _probably _dead….oh my God, do you hear yourself?"

"I was trying to move on, for Lucas…and for me…" Taylor struggled to explain himself. He felt strange saying his son's name.

"That doesn't change the fact that you never actually _checked_. You never checked to made _sure. _You just assumed that they were right…while I was still out there, waiting…" Emma took a deep breath. "Did you _want_ them to be right?" she whispered.

Taylor's head snapped up to meet her hurt eyes. Shock overwhelmed his face. "_Of course not,_" he gasped, taking a slow step forward. Emma instinctively backed away.

"Then why didn't you look for me?" she questioned again, her voice broke into a small sob.

"I…I don't know," he admitted quietly.

Emma bit her lip. Her eyebrows arched high. "Of course," Emma said, shaking her head in disappointment. "I honestly don't even know why I came here." She rubbed her brow, another tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'm sorry….I am _so sorry_," the Commander moved forward again. Emma backed away, shaking her head.

"I-I don't forgive you… I _can't_."

Without another word, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Taylor flinched at the loud sound. He stood there, dazed…as if he really didn't even know what had just happened. _My children…both…hate me_. The thought was enough to force him to his seat, finding that he couldn't stand. The exhausted expression he had the day he found out she was alive, quickly returned.

Wash and Jim, who had been standing right outside the whole time, watched as Emma flew down the steps and sprinted away from the fort, completely forgetting her backpack.

The soldiers exchanged worried expressions.

"I'll …check on the Commander.." Wash said.

Jim nodded. "I guess I'll go find Emma…" he said, grabbing up her backpack and heading down the stairs.

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><p>i'll try to update once a day, but school sometimes will get in the way :( please review! ur reviews inspire me lol :))))<p>

and for the first * at the 2150 thing, i decided it was going to be like january/februaryish. cuz she says "11 years, 5 months, and 26 days" and if i had only said 11 years she'd only be 15, but i've already said she's 16. so i added the 5 months to make it right after her birthday pretty much :)

and alot of emma's rampage was actually kind of inspired by this old show life unexpected cuz i felt like her and the character, Lux, had a similar situation and a lot of the same feelings, so some ideas for some diolouge worked here too lol


	5. Explain Yourself

here's the new chapter of the day! :D hope you like it! omg this took foreverrr to write the second half, i was so tired ha. well hope u like it!

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><p>After searching for Emma for about half an hour, Jim found her sitting between some storage boxes*, her knees pulled up to her chest, and her head resting on her arms. Jim slowly walked towards her, on hand gripping the backpack strap, the other in his pocket.<p>

"Emma?" he said quietly.

She looked up at him quickly, her brow furrowing. "What do you want?" she snapped, wiping her tear stained face, her eyes red from the crying.

"Just came to check if you were okay, after hearing what you and Tayl- your father…were arguing about," Jim told her innocently. He cautiously sat beside her, watching as she inched away.

"So…you were eavesdropping?" Emma looked up at Jim, a semi-amused expression on her face.

Jim shrugged, then looked back at her, the question still lingered on his face.

"I'm _fine_." Emma lied, fiddling with the laces of her worn-out combat boots, wishing it would be enough to get him to leave.

But he didn't. "Are you sure?"

"You know, I'm really getting sick of people asking that. I know how I feel, and if I say I'm okay, then I'm _okay_," Emma growled.

"I get it…what you're going through. A…similar thing happened to my family…" Jim turned his head to face the girl. His arms rested on knees as he played with his wedding ring.

Emma arched her eyebrows, still staring down at her boots. "Your father callously abandoned you too?" she said sarcastically.

Jim suppressed a low chuckle. "No…"

"Well then how could you 'get it'?"

"Because…well it was my _children_ who went through it," Jim looked away.

Emma's eyes flickered up to him in surprised.

"I was arrested…three years ago. I was in Golad for two years."

"What did you do?" Emma said, curiosity and fear filled her voice.

"I…uh my wife and I had a third kid, and we got caught, and I took the fall…" Jim wasn't sure why he was being so open, but he continued as Emma listened. "My wife was recruited for Terra Nova but they would only let her take our older children. I…broke out so we could get Zoe here. "

Emma had averted her eyes to the storage unit in front of them, as did Jim.

"It was hard…coming back, seeing what my absence had done…Zoe didn't even remember me at first, and I thought my son would never forgive me…"

"But he did," Emma finished for him.

He looked down and nodded. "You can't blame him for you being taken, Emma…there was nothing he could've done."

Emma's head snapped up. Her hazel eyes grew frustrated. "I don't blame him for _that_," Emma told him. " I blame him for waiting _11 God damn years to find me_!"

Jim stared at her, shocked about how quickly she had become angry.

Emma stood up, glaring down at the soldier*. "See you didn't _choose_ to be taken from your family. You didn't _choose _to be kept from them! My father _chose_ to just move on, he _chose _to come here, he _chose_ _to forget about me_." Tears again streamed down her face. "And I can't forgive him for that."

Sympathy poured into his soft eyes. He really had no clue how she felt or what words would soothe her anger. But he did have something, a question.

"Why did you come here?" he dared to ask her.

She stared back at him, "Well…I um…" she struggled for an answer.

"You don't know _why _you came here?"

"Okay, look, I do _not _have to explain myself to you." Emma crossed her arms. Jim could see she was building up her walls again.

"Just tell me why you came here? If you hate your father so much, why would you come here? So you could yell at him?"

"Yes, I traveled 85 million years into the past for that!" she rolled her eyes.

"Then _what is it_?"

"_I came here to forgive him!_" Emma snapped. Her eyes wide with hurt. "I…I wanted my family back…I wanted things to go back to normal, I wanted to forgive him…" Emma inhaled sharply, finding it hard to breathe. "But when I saw him…I don't know….the words, they-they were coming out of my mouth before I could stop them. I just felt, like everything I kept bottled up for so long, exploded and…I wanted to stop being angry…but I don't know how."

She sank to the ground, covering her face with her hands. Jim moved towards her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She was shaking, the sobs racking her body.

Emma didn't understand. Why wouldn't she stop crying? Why did she _care_ that she might have hurt her father? Why was she even telling this guy anything? She just wanted to kick herself, for opening up, for caring so much, for letting herself be so vulnerable. She wanted to shove Jim away, but she couldn't find the strength to do so. As her exhaustion began to overwhelm her, she felt her tears begin to cease. She leaned against the storage unit, swallowing thickly as Jim's worried eyes bore into her.

She let her eyes flutter close. "Will you take me home…?" she whispered.

Jim nodded yes and slowly stood up. Emma pushed herself up off the ground and rubbed her eyes. She watched as Jim threw her backpack over his shoulder and began to walk. Emma flanked his side, arms crossed. She refused to look around them as they passed other people, feeling their stares. She had never felt so self-conscious in her life. She began to wonder if Jim and the other woman soldier weren't the only ones who had heard what happened.

They walked towards the settlement, stopping in front of one of the first houses. They weren't that big, but they were much larger than the tiny Chicago apartments Emma was used to.

"This is your father's house. I uh…I believe he already has a room set up for you…" Jim said. He opened up the front door, remembering that Taylor never kept his door locked usually, there wasn't really a reason to.

Emma hesitated, but soon walked forward and into the house. She stood there in awe. The house was beautifully lit with all of the windows letting the sun simply shine in. The walls were made of wood, everything was so _clean_. Emma thought back to how dirty everything back in 2150 was.

She walked farther into the house, seeing one of the doors wide open, she peeked in. It was a small bedroom, the bed looked brand new, the sheets were laid out perfectly. The room looked as if it had never even been touched.

"Uh, this must be your room," Jim said, setting her backpack down in the door way. He watched as Emma walked into the room, her fingers lightly tracing the walls.

"Well…I better go…" he said, his thumb pointed over his shoulder towards the door. Emma looked up at him, nodding.

"If you ever need anything, my family's house isn't too far away. Feel free to come by, I'm sure my kids would like to meet you." He smiled, turned on his heels and began to walk out. Emma quickly walked over to her doorway.

"Wait!" she said. Jim turned around, looking confused. "Um…do…you know where my brother is? Lucas? I'd kinda like to go see him later…does he even know that I'm here?" she asked

Jim froze. _Crap_, he thought. "No…I uh, I don't…that's something you…should probably speak to Commander Taylor about…"

Emma watched as he disappeared out the door, confusion swept across her face. Why had her brother made him so skittish? She shrugged, it was probably nothing. She made her way back to her bed and plopped down. Exhaustion was overcoming her, pulling her into a welcoming sleep. Emma curled up on the bed and let it take her, the anger slipping away for the time being.

Jim quickly walked back to Taylor's fort. _Well that could've gone better_, he thought, rubbing his brow. _You didn't sound suspicious at all!_ He currently wanted to kick himself in the face.

He bounded up the stairs and into the Commander's office. Wash was just standing there, next to the doorway, watching Taylor.

"Did you find her?" she whispered to Jim, who nodded in response.

Commander Taylor was sitting in his chair, staring at the wall across the room. His eyes looked almost glassy, he didn't even seem to be aware of Jim's presence.

"Uh wha-what's wrong with him?" Jim asked quietly, pointing at their boss.

"I'm not sure… he's basically been like this since the kid walked out…"

"Sir…?" Jim said, stepping forward. Taylor didn't respond. "Commander Taylor?" he said a little louder. Nothing.

Taylor's head snapped up when Jim stepped into his line of view. Annoyance made his eyebrows crease, but he quickly snapped out of it.

"Where's Emma? Did you find her?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, I brought her to your house. She's still upset, but she's calmed down." Jim had never seen Taylor so… unnerved. _Wow, a teenage girl did this_? He thought.

"Good…good," Taylor said, he still didn't seem to fully be…there.

"She asked about Lucas." Jim said quickly, noticing Taylor was starting to focus on another part of the wall.

His face grew hard, his eyes averted back to Jim. "What did you say?" he questioned, swallowing thickly.

"I uh…told her I didn't know, and it was probably a question for you." Jim said, staring at the floor in front of him as he did.

Taylor nodded. "Okay…Jesus…how the hell am I supposed to explain that her brother tried to kill me and that I _banished_ him?" Taylor passed a hand over his face.

"This harder than you expected it to be?"

"Yes…_a lot_ harder…" Taylor sighed. "I guess I'll figure something out.. You're excused." Taylor picked up his plex, not looking up at Jim's worried face.

"Okay…" Jim turned to walk out then stopped. "Why now?" he asked

Taylor looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"Why _did_ you choose to get here now?"

"I do not have to explain myself to you, Shannon," Taylor snapped, repeating almost the same words his daughter had used. "You are _excused._"

Jim arched his eyebrows in surprised, then quickly walked out. Wash shrugged at him as she followed him out.

"I've never seen him like this…" Wash said, resting her hands on her hips, glancing back at the office.

"Well, she was pretty hard on him. It …makes sense that he'd be …shaken up… I would've been." Jim admitted.

"How's the kid?"

"She's pretty shaken up too….she just needs a little time, I think…she'll come around sooner or later…they both will…"

Later that night, as they laid in bed, Elisabeth awoke to see that her husband was still awake. He laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Jim?" she yawned. "Why on Earth are you still awake?"

"Just…thinking…" he replied, rubbing his brow.

Elisabeth sat up, facing Jim. "What's wrong?"

"Just work today… it was pretty stressful, you could say," Jim arched his eyebrows, glancing up at his wife. She continued to stare, waiting for him to elaborate. He sighed. "Taylor…has a kid… _another_ kid, a daughter."

Elisabeth's eyes widened in disbelief. "A daughter? Wha-….is she _here_ in Terra Nova?"

"Yes…she came through on the 11th today."

Elisabeth thought for a second. "Oh my God…the girl…who came through alone? Emma…? Hw come Commander Taylor has never mentioned her before? Does anyone else know?"

Jim shook his head. "Apparently she's been missing for 11 years… and he wouldn't tell me why, but I guess he's been looking for her and found her recently. When she went to speak with him…well it turned ugly, and she stormed out and Taylor's been acting strange."

"Is she okay? Did you find her?" Elisabeth asked.

"Yes, I brought her to Taylor's house…she's still upset for sure, but she was a little better after I got her to open up to me about what was going on… But she asked about her brother, Lucas…"

"Oh no…" Elisabeth sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "That poor thing will be devastated when she finds out about him…"

Jim agreed sadly. "It honestly might be better if she doesn't know what really went down between Taylor and Lucas… it might just make her more angry at him."

"I actually think you're right… she definitely needs more time before she hears about that." Elisabeth laid back down.

Suddenly, she perked up, an idea popping into her head. She turned to Jim quickly. "Why don't you invite Commander Taylor and Emma to have dinner with us?"

Jim's eyes widened. "_What_?"

"Yes, I think it might be good for them, to have to talk, and for Emma to be able to make friends. She's the same age as Maddy and Josh, right?" Elisabeth smiled, proud of her idea.

"You want me to invite _Commander_ Taylor to dinner? And his estranged daughter?"

"Yes, Jim!" Elisabeth said, playfully hitting him. "I really think it would be a good idea!"

Jim glanced over at his wife. "_Okay_, I will ask him tomorrow," he agreed reluctantly.

"Good," Elisabeth said triumphantly.

Jim sighed. _Well this should be interesting_, he thought.

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><p>first * = the green storage things like they had in the finale to move the ore they found to 2149<p>

second * = just in case u were wondering, i keep saying "soldier" when she's thinking about jim because obviously she doesn't know that he's not just one of the soldiers yet, he's the cop, cuz he's still in uniform lol


	6. Where is my Brother?

sorry for not updating yesterday! hope u like this chapter :) lol had a bit of a hard time at some parts lol. i feel like i acidentally channeled some of Sam Bradshaw(Landon Liboiron/Josh on TN)'s character into Josh cuz i was watching Life Unexpected before i wrote this aha. but josh is sort of the same... well enjoyy

thankyou for all of ur nice reviews!

**LadyStrider17:** omg yes! im keeping my fingers crossed! i mustttt find out what are in the badlands!

check out these awesome Lucas/Skye stories! **The Traitor and The Pariah ** by **Chaotic-Theoretic ** and **Cut Off Without Ammends** by **NumberSixteen** :D

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><p>Emma awoke with a start, practically gasping for air. Her vivid dreams, or nightmares, of Somalia still haunted her on occasion, but this was worse than usual. She sat up quickly, looking around. Her head felt foggy about the previous day's events. It even took her a minute to remember where she was.<p>

Glancing around the medium sized, sunlit room, she brought one hand up to massage her temple, soothing her throbbing head. It felt like a hangover of some sort. _That's what seeing your father after 11 years and completely blowing up at him does apparently_, she thought. Swinging her legs out of bed, she sat a moment, gathering her thoughts. She already remembered yelling at her father, his hurt expression, and her storming out. She remembered Jim finding her and trying to calm her down, only to have her explode at him as well, then his strange response to her asking about her brother's whereabouts. She honestly couldn't recall any specific details, it still felt like such a blur in her tired mind.

Pushing herself up off the bed, she stumbled towards the door, tripping over her backpack that lay on the floor. "Ow…" she grumbled groggily. She grasped her toes and hobbled out of her room.

Emma stopped short, eyeing her father who stood in the kitchen making breakfast. He glanced up for a moment, then quickly looked away, as if…he were _afraid_. Afraid she might yell again, attack him with her vicious words. The look disappeared within moments though.

She dropped her foot, wincing when she put pressure on her now sore toes. She felt a tinge of guilt as she watched her father, she could still see a hint of pain in his eyes. _No, he deserved it_, she told herself, trying to shake the guilt. She moved forward cautiously, staring at the glass of green liquid her father had pushed towards the edge of the counter.

"Good morning," he muttered. "Did you…sleep well?" He still hadn't looked up again.

Emma, shocked that he was even speaking to her, found she could only nod. She sat down on the tall, dark stool at the edge of the counter, her hands place under her thighs, as if to keep from having to touch the cup.

"You're supposed to drink it…" Taylor said, motioning towards the drink as he popped a piece of fruit into his mouth. He chuckled quietly as Emma scrunched up her nose in disgust. It reminded him of how often she used to do that when she was little, when Ayani tried to feed her the baby food while the rest of them ate the real food that Emma so obviously wanted.

Biting her lower lip, Emma's eyes traveled across the clean, white counter to her father's plate, covered with an assortment of fruits. She eyed it hungrily then glanced up at Taylor with an almost begging look. He arched his eyebrows in amusement.

Shaking his head, Taylor grinned. Neither of them seemed to be thinking about the day before, as Emma attempted to swipe a strawberry from his plate jokingly. He pulled it away swiftly, and pointed at the cup again.

"Three days," he said apologetically.

Her shoulders sank as she reached for the glass. Glaring up at Taylor, she _slowly_ brought it towards her, eyebrows knitted together. "Oh my God…" she gasped, quickly plugging her nose as she began to down the drink, eyes squeezed shut.

Slamming the cup down, she threw her arms up. "Done!" she laughed triumphantly. Taylor laughed, passing her a napkin to wipe off the remaining drink that left a green mustache on her upper lip.

"Good job, Peanut," he joked, nodding.

Emma felt her body stiffen at the use of her childhood nickname. The last time she had been called that, was the day her mother was killed. She stared down at the counter in front of her. The memories of the little back room, her father holding her, her mother running her fingers through her fair, and her big brother's frightened face, flashed behind her eyes.

Taylor shut his eyes tightly, desperately wanting to take back what he had just said. _Too soon_, he thought. _Way too soon_.

Emma's eyes flickered back up to him, her face hard once again, like it had been the day before when she had walked into his office. "Where's Lucas?" she asked. Taylor's eyes snapped back open.

Caught off guard, he struggled to come up with an excuse to avoid the question. "Uh…let's talk later, okay? He glanced up at the clock. "_You_ are going to be late for orientation if you don't start getting ready, and I need to go to work…" Taylor said, suddenly rushing.

Emma's mind flashed back to Jim's odd behavior as a result of the same question. _What the hell…_ she thought. She glanced up at the clock, as her brows furrowed. "It's only 8... Isn't orientation at 10?" Emma pointed out.

"Yes…but I have a meeting so you'll have to get to orientation on your own, I'm afraid. It might take you longer than it would if I showed you…so, you um might have to leave a little early." Taylor disappeared into his study for a moment.

Irritated by her father's avoidance of the question and of _her_, she jumped off the stool, heading for her room. Her brow stayed furrowed with frustration as she dug through her backpack for something to wear. Yanking out a blue tank top and a pair of jeans, she headed towards the bathroom. Taylor was still in his study, though she wasn't sure why, considering how rushed he was acting. She ducked into the bathroom, finding a clean towel sitting on the counter. She gazed at the perfectly clean mirror, fiddling with her messy hair. It was very different from the dirty, cracked ones she had always known back in all of the foster homes and group homes. The wide sun roof let the bright sun light shine down and swim about the little room. Emma soaked it in, nodding in approval.

When she got out of the shower, she quickly slipped on her clothes and made her way back to her room, drying her hair with the towel. "Hello?" she called, feeling very alone. No answer. She spotted a small note on the counter, quickly picking it up. "Here are some instructions on how to get to orientation…" she read under her breath. "Okay…" she sighed, setting down the paper and walking into her room again. She picked up her dirty boots and pulled them on quickly.

_9:00_, the clock read. _Great, what am I supposed to do for an hour? _she thought. She walked back out to the living room and glanced around. Nothing. Just furniture. "Guess I'll get a …head start," she groaned. She quickly went to the kitchen, pouring herself another glass of the green drink. She lifted it up, took a sip, holding back a gag as it slid down her throat. She shuddered, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

"Screw it…" she muttered, grabbing a strawberry off of the plate Taylor had left in the center of the counter and stuffing into her mouth. Another gag slipped up her throat, making her want to spit out the fruit. "Okay…I get the point of the drink now…" she said to herself, bitterly, as she finished the fruit then the drink. Emma looked back at the open kitchen/living room as she backed out of the front door. "Here we go!" she forced a smile and shut the door.

Back at Taylor's office, Jim slowly made his way up the stairs and into the doorway, peering in. Commander Taylor sat in his chair, reading something on his plex-pad.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Jim spoke up after a minute. He stood there stiffly, hands behind his back.

"Oh, you're here. Good, come on in, Shannon." Taylor waved him in.

Jim moved to stand in front of his desk, still standing stiffly. Taylor eyed his posture warily.

"Look, I apologize about yesterday…" the Commander said slowly, passing a hand over his face again. "Yesterday was not what I was expecting at all."

Jim nodded. "It's okay, I understand…_trust me_," he said, loosening up a little.

Taylor smiled, "Yes you do… uh… how long did it take for your kids to forgive you..?"

Jim arched his eyebrows momentarily, Taylor had never been so…unsure of himself or his "tactics". But parenting was pretty different. "Honestly, I'm not sure I've been completely forgiven still… she'll come around. Don't worry." Jim tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Uh… by the way, Elisabeth wanted me to ask if uh…you and Emma would like to join us for dinner tonight?"

The Commander laughed. "Sure, sounds good… I think Emma would be up to it…. It would be nice for her to start making some friends. Your kids…Maddy and Josh are about the same age, right?"

"Yeah, Maddy is 16 and Josh is 17."

"Well, tell your wife that we would love to join you…"

Jim watched as Taylor was soon lost in his thoughts again. "Uh, sir…? What is it?"

Taylor shook his head. "She asked me about Lucas too…" he stared up at Jim who crossed his arms. "Should I tell her… the truth? I'm not sure how long I could just _avoid_ the question."

"I'm not sure… do you think she would be able to handle it? Especially right now?"

"I honestly don't know either…" Taylor sighed.

Emma weaved her way through Terra Nova, attempting to follow her father's instructions to get to the orientation. Confusion was the only expression on her face as she found herself at the market, _again_. "_Seriously_?" she groaned, turning in circles trying to figure out which direction to go. She whipped around to go the opposite direction and found her self slamming into something…or someone. She felt something wet suddenly pour over her shirt.

"Oomph!" she gasped. She heard the other person make a small sound of pain, which made sense considering she had basically thrown herself forward at them. She stumbled a bit, but the person's hands gripped her arms, keeping her from toppling over.

"Lost?" a boy's voice chuckled. Emma looked up to see a teenage boy, probably about her age, standing over her holding a now empty cup. His bright blue eyes were amused as he arched his right eyebrow. Then she looked down at her shirt, seeing a giant wet spot on the front.

"_Crap!_" she snapped.

"Sorry, uh…. Let me help…" the boy said, now noticing the water he had spilt on her. He grabbed a handkerchief off of a near by booth and reached forward to help dry her off.

"No, no!" she said, pushing his hand away. "I'm _fine_…you'll just make it worse… Sorry for running into you…"

"It's all good. I should've been watching where I was going." The boy grinned as Emma snatched the handkerchief out of his hand and began to dab at the wet spot. "Where are you heading in such a hurry, anyways?"

"Orientation…" Emma said, accepting that the spot was just going to have to air dry. She looked around him, behind her, then back at the instructions again. "I'm _pretty _sure I'm going in circles, though… but I'll figure it out…" she turned on her heels and began to walk away.

"Wait up! Maybe I can help?" the boy said, flanking her side. "I'm Josh."

"Emma. And I think you've helped _enough_ today," Emma said sarcastically, staring down at her shirt.

"Hey, _you_ ran into _me_," Josh pointed out.

"You're the one who said you should've been watching where you were going…" she threw back, continuing to walk faster, trying to shake him.

The boy laughed. "Okay okay, I'll drop it. By the way…. Uh you're _going_ the wrong way." Emma stopped and glanced around.

She sighed giving up. "_Fine_. Which way do I go?" she glared up at Josh.

"Follow me," he said, "Or…you could skip orientation and let _me_ be your tour guide." Emma's eyes snapped up to meet his. She was about to make a snarky remark, but she could see that he was serious.

"And why should I have _you_ be my 'tour guide'?"

"Because you won't be bored…" Josh shrugged as they continued walking.

"Ha! Maybe some other time…I don't think my dad would like it if I missed orientation…" she said, finally spotting the rest of the 11th Pilgrimage kids & teenagers.

"Who's your dad?" Josh laughed. "It's just a tour basically. Not that big of a deal…"

"Well I don't think having the Commander's kid play hooky on something so simple would look that great, especially for him…" Emma said, walking closer to the group.

"Wait, _what?_" Josh's eyes grew wide in confusion. But Emma had already walked far ahead to reach group, avoiding having to elaborate on Josh's question. She turned for a moment giving a quick wave and "Thanks!" before jogging the rest of the way just in time for the meeting to start, leaving Josh standing there dumbfounded and confused.

When orientation was over, Emma began to make her way back to the house. She kicked up some of the gravel in the path as she thought about her brother. She was surprised that she still hadn't seen him yet. That he hadn't come to see her, and that she hadn't just run into him while she was basically exploring every inch of the place earlier. As she stopped in the market, admiring the produce and clothing items. As she tried on a few scarves, she began to hear whispering coming from not too far behind her. When she heard her name, she froze, straining to listen.

"_That's her? The Commander's daughter?" _one voice said.

"_Yeah… do you remember her brother? Lucas? He was always so… weird!"_ another voice replied.

"_Uh huh…didn't he like go missing after the 5__th__ pilgrimage?"_

"_I heard Commander Taylor killed him!" _

Emma felt her heart stop. _What the hell is going on?_ her mind screamed. She turned her head, giving the two girls who were watching her, a quick death stare, then hurried off to Taylor's fort. _Missing? Killed by their father?_ her mind was filled with dread. What had happened to her brother?

She flew up the stairs, bursting into her father's office, ignoring the soldier's telling her to wait.

Her father, who hadn't looked up yet knew it was her. "Emma, Jim Shannon and his family invited us to dinner tonight…would you like to go?" When he heard to response Taylor looked up at her, quickly shocked. "What's …wrong?" he asked, seeing the panic on her face.

"_Where is Lucas_?" her voice was trembling as she asked, terrified of the answer to come.

"What happened?" her father stood up, worry lining his face.

"I-I-I heard some people talking…. They said he went _missing_? And that they heard that you…" Emma's eyes watered. "…_killed_ him."

Taylor's face grew pale. "Who the hell told you this?"

"I don't know! And I don't care. _Where is my brother_?" she begged.

Taylor struggled to breathe, his heart pounding. He rubbed his brow, then looked back up at his daughter. "He…went _missing_ a few years ago…"

"_Why?"_ Emma's voice shook, her eyes wide.

He gingerly motioned towards the empty chair in front of his desk. Emma slowly sat down, the panic welling up inside of her. Taylor returned to his own seat. He looked at Emma, the seriousness in his eyes frightened her.

As he tried to explain how Lucas had _changed_ after Somalia, and how he blamed him for their mother's death, and her being taken away, Emma felt dread creeping into her. He continued on about how he had discovered that Lucas had been trying to make the portal go both ways so that his employers would be able to get through and demolish Terra Nova. Lucas had tried to kill him, and he was forced to banish him, for the safety of the colony.

Emma did her best to keep a straight face. But her eyes betrayed her, the dread, sadness, anger, confusion melted together as the tears prickled behind eyes. All she could remember was sweet, caring Lucas. Lucas, her big brother who had always protected her, but would never hurt a fly. Somalia had made her big brother who she used to look up to, into a monster? Emma didn't understand. She so much wanted to blame her father, but she knew if it was true, what he was saying, this wasn't his fault. Lucas would've _chosen _to do what he did. He had actually tried to _murder_ their father, he wanted to _destroy_ Terra Nova…her new home? Lucas would _never_ do such a thing.

"You're _lying_," were the only words she could muster, her mouth feeling dry. She gazed down at her hands, trying to sort through her memories of Lucas.

"I'm not. I promise you, it is the truth. I don't understand it much myself either…"

Emma shook her head. "My brother wouldn't do that… he would never -" "Emma, you haven't seen him in 11 years."

She glared up to meet his hard face. "And _whose _fault is _that_?" she snapped. She refused to believe it.

Her father kneeled in front of her, placing one hand on her shoulder, and lifting her chin up with the other. She continued to stare down at the wood flooring, exploring the patterns, trying to forget everything she had just heard. It was only her _second day _here, and already it seemed like so much had happened.

"I am _so _sorry, Emma," he whispered, his face sympathetic.

She inhaled sharply, pulling away. "I'm going to go…get ready…for uh dinner…" Emma needed to get out of there, she could hardly breathe.

"We don't have to go, now, if you don't want to…" he said quietly.

"No… I want to, we should go…" Emma muttered, rubbing her brow.

Her father nodded, his hard face re-appeared as Emma quickly walked out. He sat back in his chair, put his face in his hands in frustration. This is what Somalia had done, tore their family apart, left his children shattered and broken. And it seemed like there was nothing he could do to fix it. He hadn't felt as helpless as he did now, in 11 years.

* * *

><p>im a lil worried emma was ooc at times... lol what do u think? i was so conflicted too about tell her about lucas then, but i felt like it would be weird to wait too long for her to hear somethingggg lolll - andd this chapter was getting pretty long so i decided to make the dinner at the shannons a seperate chapter, it'll probably be a bit short lol<p>

ps - lucas should be coming in soon :) within the next couple chapters hopefully :D


	7. Flashbacks

thankyou for the supportive reviews! they really inspire me :))) i am literally dying at school when i get an idea because i just want to write! loll

**LadyStrider17:** yeah! emma definitly knows how to "bring him to his knees" you could say lol. ur right, he's definitly nottt a god, but he can get pretty close to one aha

**Chaotic-Theoretic: **LMFAO i meant like, i betrayed this character she's supposed to be sometimes...but nvm ignore that self-concious comment i had made LOL. aha thankyouuu im glad u liked the chapter tho :)

**LlamaLloverr: **maybeee! :D aha im not going to like ignore the fact that josh/skye kissed but there just wont be any relationship there

* * *

><p>After hearing about her brother, Emma had went straight home and simply cried herself to sleep. When she imagined coming to Terra Nova after getting that recruitment letter, she thought she would have been so overjoyed to see her father, that the anger would simply melt away and she'd forget all about it. She thought that Lucas would've been waiting to welcome her, and they'd all just pretend nothing had happened. She had been terribly wrong. <em>Wishful thinking<em>, she thought sadly.

She had clumsily walked into her room, that still was bright from the afternoon sun, and kicked off her boots. She had fallen into bed, wrapping the soft, green quilt around herself. Burying her face into her pillow she let the tears come until her eyes fluttered shut. Her mind drifted off to memories of her brother. One memory stood out the most, the first and only time Emma had ever seen Lucas be violent.

**Somalia, 2137: **

_A little four-year-old Emma sat on the steps in front of the tall, brown apartment building. She was bouncing a dirty soccer ball up and down while she watched a filthy, stray cat limp down the dirt gravel road. _

"_Kitty!" she squealed, reaching out her hand, coaxing the poor thing closer. _

_It purred, sniffing her tiny fingers, as if it thought she might be holding food. The cat's ribs stuck out, fleas bouncing around it's back. It meowed, begging for something to eat. Emma frowned, she had nothing to feed it._

_Suddenly a group of older boys, about 11 or 12 years old, walked by, eyeing the mangy creature that had taken a liking to the child. They marched over, one hauling the cat up by the scruff of it's neck as the other boys laughed._

"_Stop!" Emma shrieked, "You're hurting, Kitty!" she stood, jumping up, trying to reach her little friend._

_The boys roared with laughter at her feeble attempts. The frustrated child looked up at the terrified animal hanging above her, at the boy holding it, then down at his leg mischievously. Swinging her leg far back, then forward, she slammed her foot into his shin. Crying out from the sharp pain, he released the cat to grasp his leg. The cat sprinted away._

_Emma smirked up at the boys, quite proud of herself. Another boy, who appeared to be the leader, grabbed up her soccer ball, thrusting it forward towards her face over and over, threatening to release it. _

_She flinched, as hard as she tried not to, it was a reflex she couldn't control. Emma stared straight at the boy and stuck her tongue out. _

"_Stupid baby," he snapped. Emma suddenly felt the ball smash into the side of her face._

_She toppled over, one hand clasped against her cheek. Wide eyed, tears poured down her face as the ball rolled away. A few of the boys frowned, looking around them nervously, while a few simply laughed._

"_**HEY!**__" she heard someone shouting. She watched a few of the nervous boys run off, leaving the leader and two others._

_Lucas ran up, quickly kneeling down in front of his little sister. "Hey, hey, Em, look at me," he said, lifting her chin so she was staring straight into his bright green eyes. "What happened?" Emma didn't hesitate to point up at the lead bully, then at the soccer ball, through the tears. _

_Furious, her brother stood and faced the boy. "You threw a soccer ball at a four-year-old's face?" he growled._

"_So what? Tell the wimp to get over it," the boy rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Lucas grabbed his shoulder, spinning him back around and punching him square in the nose._

"_Ah!" he cried out. "You punched me!"_

"_Get over it," Lucas said, smirking, "Now stay the hell away from my sister." He turned, picking up Emma, who wrapped her arms around his neck. Over his shoulder she glared at the boy with a bloody nose and stuck her tongue out._

**Terra Nova:**

When Emma woke up, she found herself smiling as she recalled the dream, but it quickly faded. She sat up, looking at the little clock on the still-empty dresser. _3:30_ PM. She had forgotten how early it was.

She quickly got up and headed for the kitchen as her stomach growled loudly. Reluctantly, she poured a glass of the green smoothie, plugging her nose as she drank. "_Bleh!_" she spat, making a sour face.

She made her way to the bathroom, staring at her blotchy, tear-stained face in the mirror. She washed her face, then brushed out her dark, tangled hair. She braided two bunches of hair then put it up in a ponytail.

"Hm… much better," she said to herself, heading back to her bedroom.

_What to do….what to do…_ she thought, glancing down at her backpack. She shrugged and sat on the floor next to the pack and began to yank out it's contents. Emma placed her clothes in the drawers neatly, for the first time realizing how few she actually had. A couple pairs of jeans, one pair of shorts, some shirts, a couple jackets, and one very casual cream dress which she hung up in the small closet. She took out a small picture frame which contained a two-year-old photo of her with Jody and her daughter on her 14th birthday. They were all smiling, happy… it made Emma wonder how they were doing, if they had a new foster kid yet. It pulled at her heart as she thought about this little family. She had grown attached to them, never planned on going to another foster family. _They_ had become her family. She couldn't help but miss them terribly.

As she placed the photo on her dresser next to the clock, she sighed deeply, leaning back against the bed, her head resting on the edge. She closed her eyes, bringing back her earlier dream of Lucas hitting the bully. His green eyes hung in the back of her mind. When she heard the front door open and shut, her eyes snapped open. _5:00_ PM the clock said now.

"Huh….well that was quick…" she whispered to herself, arching her right eyebrow.

"Emma?" her father's voice called down the hall.

"In my room," she answered, lifting her head up off the mattress.

Taylor poked his head in, arching his eyebrows in confusion when he saw her sitting on the floor. "Uh… are you… getting ready? I think they're expecting us around 5:30."

"Yeah, I'm pretty much ready… but how am I supposed to eat anything? I thought I could only drink that… green stuff.." Emma made a point to shudder when she said it.

Taylor gave a short laugh. "It's mostly the fruits you can't eat. Elisabeth is bringing some Xishkabob(?) fish, and I think you should be fine eating that…"

Emma nodded and watched her father walk out, and annoyingly enough, leave her door open. She rolled her eyes. _Parents…_ the thought made her laugh a little.

As they walked to the Shannon's house, Emma found herself glancing up at the Commander quite a bit. He stood tall, wearing his hard military face as they walked through the colony. He smiled and waved the people who passed, many who gave Emma strange looks. She crossed her arms, feeling self conscious again. Standing in her father's shadow, literally, was not helping.

Taylor quickly knocked on the door of one of the houses in the newer part of the settlement. The soldier from the day before came to the door, grinning.

"Hey, you made it," he said, welcoming them in.

"Yup…" Emma smiled back politely, following her father into the house.

"You probably remember Jim. He's Terra Nova's only cop."

"_Sheriff_," Jim joked.

As she looked around, she noticed quite a few difference from their house. This one was basically the same size, but their were three smaller bedrooms and a wider living room/kitchen area, whereas at the Taylor's there were two larger bedrooms and then the Commander's smaller study and a slightly smaller living room/kitchen area.

A woman and a girl about her age were setting the table, a little girl sat on the far couch playing with little homemade stuffed toys. The woman looked up, smiling brightly.

"Hello!" she said, walking over to greet them. "I don't know if you remember, I'm Dr. Shannon, well you can just call me Elisabeth."

"Hi, yeah I remember, I'm Emma," Emma smiled back.

"Well this is our eldest daughter, Maddy," she pointed to the girl arranging the table who looked up and waved. "And the one on the couch, that's Zoe, Zoe come here please," Elisabeth called to the little girl who ran over. She looked up at Emma, grinning widely, showing off her baby teeth that were a bit crooked in spots. "…and our eldest son, Josh is…. somewh- oh there he is! Emma, this is Josh," Elisabeth pointed to a boy as he walked out of one of the bedrooms.

Emma's eyes widened when she realized it was the boy from the market. The one who she _ran_ _into_.

Josh looked up and chuckled when he saw her. "Girl who ran into me?" he said, pointing to his finger at her, then eyeing the Commander nervously.

Emma nodded. "Boy who spilled water all over me?" she raised her eyebrows as Josh smiled almost proudly.

The exchange caused Jim and Taylor exchange confused expressions.

"You two know each other?" Jim asked.

"Eh, long story?" Josh lied.

"_Not really_," Emma said. "He helped me find orientation as an apology for spilling his drink on me."

Taylor looked down at his daughter. "I left directions for you…"

Emma laughed, "Yeah….I was walking in circles for about an hour."

The group laughed as the Commander shrugged. Elisabeth returned to the table, pouring water in everyone's glasses except one.

"Emma, since you can't eat most of the food, I made some of the Nutrient Drink for you," Elisabeth said as she poured some into her glass.

Everyone laughed at the disgusted expression that arose on the girl's face when she saw the drink. "Th-thank you…"

"Well, dinner is ready everyone! Let's eat," Elisabeth said, motioning the group to the table.

Lagging slightly behind her father and Jim, Emma felt someone next to her. "You weren't kidding…" the person whispered.

Emma glanced up at Josh. "About what exactly?" she whispered back.

"The _Commander_ being your father."

"No, I wasn't. Why would I kid about that?" Emma laughed quietly, taking her seat.

As they ate and talked, Emma felt almost sad. She remembered her family's dinners when she was little. She hadn't had a dinner like this since she was five, and she had missed it. She watched as Josh helped Zoe cut her meat, as she sat back smiling. More memories flowed through her mind of Lucas. Emma tried to block them out by sipping the Nutrient Drink profusely.

"So, Emma, how are you liking Terra Nova so far?" Maddy spoke up.

"Uh…" she eyed Jim warily, thinking back on their encounter the day before. "I like it. I've only seen what they show us at orientation though."

"How old are you?" Little Zoe asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'm sixteen. What about you?" Emma grinned.

"I'm six!"

It seemed like everyone was watching the two talk, as if it were some very intriguing conversation.

"What are you going to be when you grow up?" the girl asked now.

"Aha… I'm not sure yet, actually," Emma said, feeling her father's eyes on her.

"Well _I_ want to be a dinosaur-feeder," Zoe announced proudly. Everyone laughed at her cute comment. "I'm serious!" she giggled, holding her sock-dinosaur closely.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Emma choked on her food for a moment. She cleared her throat, still looking down at her food. "Uh…y-yes," Emma quickly hid her emotions by smiling brightly at the child. "I have a big brother… Lucas."

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see the adults at the table awkwardly look at each other then down at their plates.

"Where is he?" Zoe pushed on, determined to learn more.

_I wish I knew_, she thought. "He's…. traveling…." Emma lied. She now felt everyone's eyes boring into her. Zoe was the only one who was oblivious to the lie. Even Josh and Maddy knew that Lucas had "gone missing" after the 5th.

"Why?"

Emma almost laughed. This kid was not going to leave it alone. _Maybe she should be a cop like her dad when she grows up_, Emma thought.

"Zoe, please eat your dinner," Elisabeth said, saving Emma from having to go through the torture of trying to explain.

The rest of dinner was fairly quiet, just the sound of the forks scraping the plates and glasses being placed back down on the table.

"It was nice having you over," Elisabeth said, as the family walked them out.

"Thanks for having us," Taylor smiled, instinctively placing his hand on Emma's shoulder. She shrugged it off uncomfortably, grimacing for a moment before smiling back at the Shannons.

"It was nice to meet you, Emma," Maddy gave a little wave.

"Yeah…we should hang out sometime," Josh saw Taylor's hard face and quickly said, "so I can introduce you to some of my other friends like um…Skye and Hunter…."

Taylor nodded at Josh, as if to say, _Nice save_.

"Uh yeah, sure, thanks." Emma nodded, trying to not laugh at Josh's nervous face.

As they walked back to the house, Emma took note of the noticeably large gap between her and her father. She wondered how long it would be like this… the awkwardness and tension. She didn't want to be angry at him, but she didn't want to really forgive him either. People had always joked to her about how she was way too stubborn and proud. When she was little, people told her that she was so much like her father, never giving up without a fighting, always sticking to her opinions, never wanting to be wrong.

They quietly walked into the house, both seemingly exhausted, went straight for their rooms.

"Goodnight," her father said, his gravely voice sounded tired.

"'Night," she said back, closing her bedroom door.

Quickly stripping off her clothes and replacing them with a pair of grey sweat pants, and tight, black t-shirt. She curled up in her bed, drifting off to sleep within a matter of minutes.

She tossed and turned all night, dreaming of Somalia again. Being in Terra Nova, with her father, had brought painful memories to the surface, where they lie in wait for her to be vulnerable. They would jump out and attack her when she least expected it, bringing her to her knees, ripping her fragile heart to shreds.

Tonight she remembered more, the parts she had pushed to the farthest corners of her mind. And this time, she watched the memories unfold. As if she were standing in the background, helpless.

**Somalia, 2138 - Dream State:**

_The little girl screamed, cried, shrieked, kicked. She called for her father, who called her name in return. She watched him being thrown on the ground by the men, much like the one who was carrying her away. She saw her mother crying loudly, begging them to let her go and her older brother yelling as he was held back as well. Emma tried to run forward, but her legs wouldn't let her move. She stood by the building where more young children were being carried into. She watched furiously as the little girl was carried past her, desperately trying to escape her captors . _

"_Let her go!" she tried to scream, but no words left her mouth._

"_Emma!" the girl's father shouted. _

"_Daddy!" she sobbed. _

_Emma felt her heart sink, sobbing herself as she watched the firing squad begin to shoot the civilians. Suddenly, they were standing in front of the girl's mother. She mouthed something to her husband, her son was crying himself. _

_The mother was pulled forward and forced to her knees. The guns were aimed. Emma tried to move again. She had to save her, she had to help the mother. _

"_Mommy!" a voice behind her screamed. Emma spun around, the little girl kneeled in the house, banging against the window fiercely. "Mommy!"_

_Emma heard the gun shots ring loud and clear. The little girl's eyes widened in horror, her face pale. "Mommy!" she cried once more, before she was dragged away from the dirty glass._

"_No! Let her go!" Emma was screaming through the window, suddenly finding herself banging against it just as the child had. "No!" _

**Terra Nova - Reality:**

Emma shot up, a sharp, high-pitched scream escaped her lips. "No!" she sobbed. Gasping for air, tears raced down her cheeks.

Taylor burst in, gun in his hands. His eyes squinted through the dark, seeing his daughter hunched over in her bed, shaking.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he questioned worriedly, rushing forward, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Th-they killed h-her…I couldn't st-stop th-them…I couldn't move. A-and they sh-shot her. And I saw ev-everything! And I can't g-get it out of m-my mind!" Emma sputtered through broken sobs. She ran her hands over her head, grasping her hair tightly as she shook.

"Who? Emma, who?" Taylor said, placing his gun on the ground and grasping her shoulders, trying to keep her from shaking.

"M-m-mom!" she sobbed loudly. "I wanted t-to h-help, b-but I couldn't m-move. B-but I saw th-through the window."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Oh my God…" He had always assumed that she hadn't seen what happened to Ayani. He had _hoped_ that she hadn't.

He quickly embraced her, holding her close. She buried her face in his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt. "I miss her so much, Dad," Emma's voice was muffled from pressing her face so hard against his shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay," he whispered, holding her tighter when she called him 'Dad', a name he hadn't been called in almost six years. "I miss her too."

They sat there in the dark, as Emma's sobs slowly ceased. Taylor simply held her, much like he had as they hid for their lives in the little back room.

Emma pulled back for a moment, not bothering to wipe her tears away. "I-I'm not saying th-that I _forgive_ you….b-but I don't want t-to keep being angry at you… I-I've already lost s-so many people and I d-don't want to lose you t-too…" she heard herself whisper.

Taylor was shocked to find his eyes watering. He held her close again, as Emma's quieter sobs continued. "You are _not _going to lose me, Emma. Okay? I'm not going anywhere, I'm here. I'm here."

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><p>hope u enjoyeddd :))) i actually had a horribly hard time writing parts like the ending. lol what do u think of the chapter? i tried to make it a big longer, since i might not be able to update tomorrow :( forgive meeeee<p>

ps: there might just be some otg action soon ;D


	8. New Friends

OMG i love your reviews thankyou soo much :) i was having the worsttt day and i then i got some amazing reviews and i just couldn't be upset anymore lollll

i actually loveddd writing the first flashback in chapter 7 :D aha i like protective lucas

**bethdelusional:** lol thanks for giving my story a chance! i think that's why a lot of people havn't really checked it out :/ but thanks for checking it out :)

**LadyStrider17:** mhmmmmmm :D aha they both kinda have daddy issues too!

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><p>After Emma had finally fallen back asleep, Taylor continued to sit on the edge of her bed, afraid if he moved she might wake up again. When he was sure she was completely asleep, he stood slowly and tip-toed to the kitchen.<p>

He tiredly made some coffee, eyes drooping from lack of sleep. He sat down with his mug and passed a hand over his face. Knowing that Emma, at _5-years-old_, had witnessed her mother's murder was eating away at him. Especially seeing what an effect it had on her. As Taylor sipped his coffee, he wondered if Lucas ever had nightmares like Emma's. Emma had seen just as her brother had, but Lucas had seen it all happen right in front of him. He'd been forced to watch as the life drained from her eyes.

Lucas had been fairly troubled afterwards, but it never seemed that bad to Taylor. Maybe he just hadn't seen it at the time. He had never been fully surprised about what his son had become. Going through such a traumatizing event at only fourteen, of course there were scars. Emma, he knew, was one of those people who seemed okay but had more going on beneath her tough exterior than anyone would ever realize. She and Lucas were very similar in that way.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice Emma standing in her doorway, until she yawned loudly. He looked at her with a confused, tired expression.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No."

He was about to ask her why she was awake then, but she answered before he could say anything.

"I smelt coffee…" she muttered. Her throat felt scratchy, making it hard to speak up.

"Sor -"

"I know, I know. That green stuff only," Emma sighed. "You left this in my room by the way…I almost stepped on it." Emma gingerly held up her father's gun, walking forward to hand it to him.

Taylor took it, placing the gun on the counter next to him. Emma walked to the fridge*, pulling out the Nutrient Drink and pouring herself a glass. She leaned back against the counter, opposite of her father, as she drank.

"How are you feeling?' Taylor asked after the long silence.

Emma's brow furrowed. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because -"

_That question again_. "I don't want to talk about it," Emma said quickly, glancing up at Taylor for a moment, her eyes then flitting back down her glass.

Taylor nodded understandingly as Emma places her empty glass in the sink.

"I'm…going to go back to bed…It's late…or early…" Emma joked, dryly, seeing the kitchen clock saying _2:00 AM_.

He nodded again. Emma went back to her room, closing her door lightly and collapsing onto the bed. Her father continued to sit expressionless on the stool in the kitchen.

It was about 1 PM the next day when Emma finally found the strength to push herself out of bed. She pulled on a pair of shorts, and a loose, thin, red v-neck. She put on her boots then walked out of her room.

Taylor sat on the far couch, reading something on his plex, his face serious. When he saw his daughter, his face lightened up as he gave her a quick smile. "You're awake, finally?" he tried to joke. Emma simply arched her eyebrows, smiling tightly, not amused.

"You're still home?" she asked, going to the kitchen to grab her "breakfast".

"Not for too much longer. There's a convoy today, so I thought I'd rest until they're ready to go so I won't be too exhausted."

"Oh."

"I was thinking, maybe you'd like to tag along? I was planning on staying out a little longer and going fishing?"

Emma frowned. "I don't know how to fish," she said, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"It's not too hard, I could teach you."

She shook her head. "No, it's uh, no that. It's just… I never said I forgave you… I just said that I didn't want to be _angry_ at you. There's a big difference, Dad. Sorry, but I'm not exactly ready to go on some little bonding adventure with you…" Emma shrugged.

Taylor's face fell with disappointment. "I-I didn't mean -"

"Maybe some other time," Emma said, sounding slightly irritated. She had only said that she didn't want to be angry at him anymore, the night before. It wasn't just a switch you could turn on or off though. Seeing the look on his face though, forced her eyes to look down as the guilt of possibly being a little too harsh built up inside of her.

"Uh yeah, sounds good," Taylor said, forcing a smile.

"I'm gunna ….go for a walk…" Emma said, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. Without waiting for her father to respond she quickly left.

Emma headed towards to market, deciding she was going to make today an exploring day. She walked around, taking in all of the sights. The colors of this place, took her breath away. As she eyed the fruits in front of her, she nervously played with the hem of her shirt. She wanted one _so _badly, her stomach had been growling non-stop for the past two days it felt like. Realizing she still had no terras, she was tempted to simply steal one. She reached forward, about to grab an apple when she felt someone standing behind her.

"So you're a thief too?" the person said into her ear.

Emma swung around to see Josh smirking at her. "No… I _have _money," she lied.

"Really? And where would you get money? You don't have a job, and I don't think Taylor would give you any considering you're not supposed to eat real food yet," Josh cleverly pointed out.

"Okay, I'm caught!" Emma jokingly put her hands up. "Are you going to take me to your dad now? Or are _you_ going to cuff me?" Emma threw her hands forward, her wrists together as she arched her eyebrows.

"Ha-ha," Josh rolled his eyes. "You look tired…"

"Wow, thanks," Emma's eyebrows cinched together, as she started to move along the booths again.

"Sorry…uh that came out wrong… um are you busy right now?"

"I'm talking to _you_, what do you think?" she said, not trying to sound rude, even though that's how it sounded.

"Alright, _mean_. I was just going to suggest maybe letting me introduce you to some people around here?" he said, giving her a genuine smile.

Emma smiled back. _Well it can't hurt… besides, he's kinda …cute, _she thought. "Yeah, uh sure," she agreed.

"Okay then. Let's go!" Josh said, turning on his heels and beginning to walk. Emma stared after him for a moment, biting her lip, then quickly starting after him before he noticed.

As they walked, Josh pointed out people, naming them, giving her a quick description then moving on. They were soon passing the convoy that was about to leave. Emma spotted her father talking to the woman soldier she had met on her first day and Josh's dad, Jim.

"That's Mark Reynolds," Josh pointed to a very attractive soldier talking to some other soldiers. "AKA Maddy's boyfriend." Emma laughed as she saw the almost annoyed expression on Josh's face.

"The woman talking to your dad, that's Lieutenant Washington…Wash."

Emma's brow furrowed when she saw Wash point at her quickly. Jim and her father both turned to look at her. She tried to ignore their stares, focusing on Josh as he pointed out more people he knew. Unable to ignore their unrelenting eyes, Emma gave them a quick wave to let them know that she saw them. They all smiled then turned away again. _Okay…_ she thought.

"So how …are things going between you two?" Jim asked Taylor after Wash had walked away. "You two seemed fine at dinner."

"I'm not sure exactly. One second we'll be good, normal…then suddenly she's pushing me away again…" Taylor sighed.

"She'll come around, just give her some more time."

"I told her about Lucas… she was really upset about it. But she handled it…really well…"

"You told her _everything_?" Jim said, arching his eyebrows.

Taylor nodded. "Uh…. I think we're heading out," he said, not wanting to discuss it any further.

"Here we are!" Josh said, pointing to another house. There were a couple teenagers sitting out front, one of which was Dr. Shannon's intern…Skye. The group all turned to look at Josh and Emma.

"Hey, Josh!" the other girl said brightly.

"Hey," said a boy with short, wavy hair and Skye.

"Who's the fresh?" the boy said, repeating the same words that had been said to Josh on his first day when Skye introduced him.

"This is Emma. She's um… Commander Taylor's daughter…" Josh said hesitantly.

They stared at her with disbelief. Skye looked particularly shocked, almost hurt.

"Commander Taylor has a _daughter_?" the boy said.

"Yeah… guess he never told anyone," Emma said, faking a smile as she shrugged. They continued to stare until the other girl with very curly hair broke the awkward silence.

"Oh, well hi Emma! I'm Tasha Guzman," she said, smiling again.

"Hunter Boyce," said the boy.

"Hey, I'm Max," said another boy as he walked out of the house.

"And I'm Skye," Skye said, forcing a smile. She was confused about why Taylor had never told her he had a _real _daughter. He was like a father to her, and she always thought that she had been like a daughter to him, but apparently he already had one.

"Yeah, I'm remember you from when Avery and I came through the portal… you're Dr. Shannon's intern, right?" Skye nodded.

"Avery?" Josh asked, his brow furrowed.

"Oh, she's another girl who came through the portal alone, I haven't seen her since then, though," she shrugged.

"Welcome to Terra Nova, then," Max said, "Well I have to get to work, guys. See ya later." He waved at his friends then nodded at Emma before walking away.

"_So_…. Do you guys want to go do something?" Josh asked. "Like maybe OTG later? Emma hasn't really seen much yet."

"Could I talk to you for a minute?" Skye said, motioning Josh off to the side. As they walked off, Emma sat with Hunter and Tasha, as they passed her some strawberries. She took them eagerly, forgetting about the Nutrient Drink.

"What?" Josh questioned.

"I don't think that's uh….a very good idea…" Skye said, glancing at Emma out of the corner of her eyes.

"What? Going OTG?"

"Well going OTG with the _Commander's_ _daughter_," she whispered, eyebrows arched.

"Why? She'd tell him as much as I'd tell _my_ dad if we went. What's wrong? You guys had _no problem_ taking me on my first day, so why not her?" Josh frowned.

Skye crossed her arms. "Nothing's wrong, we just…we don't even know if we can trust her yet."

"That's ridiculous, Skye, and you know it," Josh whispered sharply before walking back to sit next to Emma. Skye felt unnecessary frustration building up inside of her.

She had a thing for Josh, she had since the day he arrived in Terra Nova. They had kissed, but he had rejected her, saying he didn't want a girlfriend at the time. But _now_, he seemed to have taken a liking to this new girl. This new girl who was the daughter of the closest thing she had to a father, and now the guy she was practically in love with seemed to like her. Skye was jealous, and it _showed_.

Emma glanced over at Josh as he sat down next to her, joining into her conversation with Hunter about their whisky still and how he had gotten a parasite in him from drinking some of the moonshine. She could _feel_ Skye's eyes boring into her back, making her fidget uncomfortably. She didn't even know her, so why did this girl seem to have something against her?

"So are we going OTG? We haven't checked on the new still in a while…." Hunter pointed out.

"Sorry, but I'm out…" Tasha said, frowning, "I'm not going OTG for a _long_ time."

Emma arched her eyebrows, about to ask why when she was cut short.

"Yeah, I think we should go," Skye spoke up, sounding very chipper all of a sudden.

"Okay, let's go the day after tomorrow? I can get us a rover _without_ anyone realizing then," Hunter said as he wiped the strawberry juice on his shorts, standing up.

"Yeah, sounds good," Josh stood up as well, Emma rising after him. "We'll meet you in the usual spot, at about 12?"

Skye nodded. Josh arched his eyebrows at Skye, curious about her sudden change in attitude.

"Well, I'm gunna go show Emma around some more," Josh said, seeing the irritated look on Skye's face returning. He quickly put his hand on Emma's back, leading her away.

"Nice meeting you guys!" she called back to them.

"I can't believe Commander Taylor has another kid…" Hunter muttered after they were gone.

"She seemed nice," Tasha said.

"Uh…huh," Skye said under her breath, arms crossed in annoyance.

"So what'd you think?" Josh asked Emma as they passed the tall fort.

"Of what?"

"My friends, and my 'tour'," Josh said, stopping then turning to face her.

"Hm… well I definitely approve of your friends, but I don't know about your tour…." Emma joked.

"Shut up, you had _fun_," Josh laughed.

"Hey! Josh!" a girl's voice called. They turned to see Maddy jogging over, holding onto Zoe's hand. "I need you to watch Zoe for a little while."

"Maddy…"

"_Please!_" Maddy begged. "Malcolm has some new stuff in the lab that I really wanna see! And Mom's busy at work."

"I'm kind of busy too…" Josh muttered.

"It's okay, Josh. Uh, I'll watch her with you, if you want?" Emma piped up.

He grinned, "Okay, fine, Maddy. Come here, Zoe." he picked up the little girl.

"_Thank you, Emma!_ I owe you!" Maddy said happily as she ran off to the lab.

Josh rolled his eyes at Maddy as they began to walk, "You don't have to babysit if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. I love little kids. Besides, I don't really have anything else to do. Might as well be bored with someone I like," Emma laughed.

Josh arched his eyebrows. "As a friend….ya know, since I don't really have any here," she finished quickly.

When they finally reached the Shannon house, Josh felt like his arms were going to fall off from carrying Zoe for so long. He set her down, watching as he immediately ran off to play with her toy dinosaurs.

"Thirsty?" Josh held up the leftover Nutrient Drink from the night before.

"_No_, no more of that, please!" Emma laughed, sitting on the couch.

Josh chuckled, sitting down next to her. Emma shifted a little, putting more space between them. Suddenly, Zoe ran back out of the bedroom carrying an arm-full of dinosaur stuffed animals.

"Will you play with me?" she asked sweetly.

Emma and Josh exchanged glances. "Sure!" Emma said, kneeling down on the floor with the little girl, taking one of the toys Zoe handed to her. Josh was soon also on the floor playing. They all laughed, as they tried to see who could make the best dinosaurs sounds, then as Zoe went off telling Emma about the nice, big dinosaurs she had gotten to feed, and how one even picked her up. Josh couldn't help but watch as Emma's face lit up when she laughed, making the hints of sadness disappear.

The three continued to play, Josh even brought out his guitar at one point, which surprised Emma. She snatched it away, playing a little song, making it Josh's turn to be surprised.

"You know how to play?" he asked, as she strummed the strings slowly.

"Yeah, I taught myself when I was ten. I used to help teach the kids at the elementary school's after-school music program," she told him, handing it back, finally.

"Oh, hello Emma!" Josh's mother said as she walked through the door.

"H-hi, Dr. Shannon," Emma smiled nervously.

"What are you all doing?" she asked.

"Maddy asked me to watch Zoe, and Emma said she'd help," Josh said.

"That's very nice of you, Emma. Looks like you all had a good time," Elisabeth smiled as she put her groceries from the market on the kitchen counter.

"It was fun. But I'd better go actually, it's probably going to start getting dark soon, and I have trouble as it is finding my house," she laughed as she stood up.

"Here, I'll walk you," Josh offered as he joined her to the door.

Emma shook her head, "That's okay. I had fun today, thanks," she said smiling up at him.

"Uh….would you like to hang out again tomorrow?"

Emma felt her stomach fill with butterflies. "S-sure." Why was she so nervous? She'd hung out with guys before, just not guys that she _liked_ the way she was beginning to like Josh.

"Cool… I'll see you then," he said, watching as she walked down the path towards her house.

With her back to him, Emma felt free to let herself grin like a silly love-struck girl. She let her mind go over the entire day as she walked.

"Hey, Emma!" she heard a familiar voice break into her thoughts. "I haven't seen you in _days_."

Emma looked to her right to see Avery standing in front of what was probably her new house.

"Hey, Avery. How've you been?" she asked, still a little dazed from her little crush.

"Good good, I got a job at the Mess Hall. _Lots_ of cute soldiers," Avery laughed. "Um…. So what happened the day we got here? When you had to go talk to the Commander?"

Emma's brow furrowed. She hadn't really thought about her father all day. "Oh, uh, just some personal stuff…" She looked at Avery's confused stare. "He's um, my _dad_…." she said slowly.

"_What?_" Avery's eyes were wide.

"Yeah, long story short, he got me recruited and I'm here now."

"Whoa…"

"Yup… well I'm actually going to uh go…." the last thing Emma wanted right now was to have to talk about her crazy family situation.

"Oh okay… but we should hang out sometime, I still don't really know anyone," Avery smiled weakly.

"Sure, it was nice to see you again."

As soon as Emma was around the corner, Avery rushed into her house. She ducked into her kitchen, pulling a hidden radio out of one of the cabinets.

"Avery, here," she spoke into it.

" What is it?" another voice replied.

"We need to talk, ASAP. I have some information."

"I'll let Mira know, she might just want the kid to bring it, wouldn't want to blow your cover."

"Okay. I'm serious when I say Mira will want to know this _ASAP._"

"I'll pass it along. Carter, out."

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><p>lol i honestly wasn't a hugeee fan of this chapter, i feel like i rushed it at parts :( but this chapter was kind of a place holder for me. didn't want things to happen to quickly so i put this chapter in to make things be a little slowerrr<p>

otg in the next chapter tho! :D which means lucas is coming very VERY soon !

ps - feel very very free to link this to tumblr or twitter or just spread the word about it ;) lol


	9. Outside the Gates

hey! sorry for not posting yesterday! in the middle of moving so i was packing all day. thnx for the reviews(:

enjoy the chapter! oh and the first * is just to say i basically mean like converse kind of shoes lolll

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><p>"Ready to go?" Josh asked as Emma opened the back door.<p>

"Yeah, just let me get my shoes on…" Emma ran to her room, yanking on her new tennis shoes*. "Do you think I'll need a jacket?" she called, looking down at her jean shorts and loose, grey v-neck.

"No, we should be back before dark," Josh replied, "But…if you get cold you could borrow mine."

Emma appeared in the doorway with an amused expression. She knitted her eyebrows together, cocking her head to the side.

"W-well…you know… if it gets cold," he said quickly, feeling nervous as she simply smiled.

"_Okay_."

They casually walked through the colony, try to draw as little attention as possible, which was hard, considering everyone's current interest in the Commander's long lost daughter.

When they reached the storage containers, Emma remembered sitting there on her first day, gazing out into the dark jungle. They quickly sprinted through the maze of green containers every once and while to be sure no one saw them.

When they finally reached the fence, Emma stared at Josh. She had never completely been sure what they were going to be doing.

"What does OTG mean?" she asked.

"Outside the Gates…" Josh said as he rolled under the wood fence, standing up on the other side with a fair amount of dirt covering his back. "C'mon!"

She quickly slid under and began to follow Josh, only looking back at Terra Nova for a moment. After Emma had returned from spending the day with Josh the day before, her father had told her that he would be leaving early and get home late the next night, meaning the chances of him realizing she was gone were slim.

They jogged through the thick, jungle foliage, Emma making sure to stick close to Josh. They came out into a small clearing where Hunter, Tasha, and Max were waiting next to a small rover.

"Hey, guys," Josh said, quickly check to make sure Emma was still behind him. He looked around when he realized there were only five of them. "Where's Skye?"

"She said she had something to do, so she couldn't come," Hunter replied, a tad irritated that Josh asked. He still didn't like that Skye liked him. He turned and got into the front seat of the vehicle.

"I thought you weren't coming," Josh said to Tasha.

"Max convinced me. The new still is closer to the falls, but it's not in Slasher territory," she said, getting into the back seat of the rover.

"Slasher?" Emma arched her eyebrows.

"Don't worry, it's nothing…" Josh lied, heading for the rover as well.

She followed him, brow slightly furrowed. It was a tight fit in the back, making it so Emma was slightly leaning out. She gripped the handle by her head tightly as they drove. When they went over a large bump, Emma felt herself almost fly out, a small gasp escaping her lips. Josh hesitantly put his arm around her waist, pulling her as close as possible. Emma turned her head away a tiny blush and embarrassed grin spread across her face. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Josh smiling too.

**Earlier That Day:**

Skye yawned as she stood from her bed. She headed to her closet to decide what would be best to wear for OTG. As she turned to shut her window so she could change, she noticed a small, folded up piece of paper on the window sill. Skye quickly grabbed it, unfolding it as her hands shook a little.

"_Mira wants to talk."_ was all it said. Skye's heart was pounding. She usually went to _them_, it was rare that they called for her. And they had never done it this way. How had they even gotten a note there in the first place? It had to be pretty important if they were willing to risk someone else seeing that note or just using a note at all.

"Hey, Hunter?" she poked her head out of room. "I…uh, I can't go today. I've got something I need to take care of."

**Now**:

Emma stumbled over the uneven rocks, watching her feet as they continued to slide over the edges.

Josh waited patiently for her, holding out his hand a few times. Every time she would shake her head, insisting that he let her walk on her alone.

"We'll catch up with you guys later!" Josh called to the rest of the group when Emma finally reached him.

As they stood on the edge of the waterfall, Emma stared down, eyes wide.

"What are we doing?" she asked anxiously.

Josh looked down, then back at Emma.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. It wasn't too hard to guess what he meant. "Wh-what? You want us to _jump_ down there? _Are you insane_?" she scoffed.

"It's not that bad, trust me," Josh laughed at her shocked face.

"No…_no way_!" she backed away, her eyebrows cinching together as she grinned.

"C'mon. I won't let anything happen to you. _I promise_," Josh reached out his hand. After a moment's hesitation, Emma took it, allowing him to lead her forward towards the edge again. Their fingers laced together.

"Don't let go," she begged quietly.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I won't. On the count of three. _One…two…three_!"

And they were falling, through the air, past walls of rock. Emma shrieked, tightening her grip on his hand. The _woosh_ in her ears lasted only a second.

The water below welcomed them. Emma quickly emerged, out of breath, spitting out some water. Josh surfaced in front of her, his grin wide.

"Well?" he gasped,, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Wow!" was all Emma could sputter. She was kicking wildly, trying to stay afloat.

Josh's brow furrowed. "You okay?"

"Well, I've never really swam before," Emma tried to laugh, sinking for a moment.

"Come here," he chuckled, pulling her closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Better?"

Emma laughed and nodded, feeling more relaxed. She gazed up at where they had been only a couple minutes before. He helped her over to the edge where there was a small grassy area. The sun beamed down on the spot, making it warm. They sat on the edge, taking off their shoes and putting them off to the side to dry. They dangled their legs into the water. Emma quietly sat, watching her feet swoosh through the clear, cool water.

"I've um… been wanting to ask something… but I didn't want to upset you…" Josh began.

Emma's eyes stayed trained on the water.

"What happened?…Like why weren't you with your family all of those years?"

She frowned. "You don't have to answer…." he said.

But she did. "I was five. We were in Somalia…um… it was August of 2138. The rebels, they uh, they took the city," Emma's eyes were distant as she struggled to continue. "A few other kids and I, we were separated from our families…. About a year and half later we were rescued, brought back to the U.S. …but since they couldn't locate my family, I was put in foster care. I guess some how my father found me though….it just took him 11 years to do it." She sighed. "And then I get here and I find out my brother tried to _kill_ my father and now he's just…gone. And I…I can't stop being angry at my dad…for so many reasons. But I don't want to be at the same time. I just want to scream…for _years_ I've just wanted to scream…"

A long silence passed. Josh eyed Emma's saddening face.

"So do it."

"What?" she finally looked up at him, her hazel eyes moist like she had been about to cry.

"Scream. Do it. There's not one here to hear you," Josh shrugged, smiling at Emma.

"What, so a dinosaur can hear me?"

"Don't make up excuses! Here, I'll do it too," Josh said mischievously.

"_Don't_."

"_Ahhhhhh!_" he began yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Shhh!" Emma laughed, attempting to cover his mouth. He pushed her hand away playfully.

"I'll stop when _you_ start!"

Laughing, she shook her head. Josh began to poke her side, making her laugh harder as she struggled to push him away. "F-haa- Fine!" she shrieked.

Josh smiled triumphantly. "Go on, then."

Emma glared at him, fighting back her smile. "I _hate_ you!" she scowled.

Then she screamed. _Loudly_. Letting her voice echo off the rocks. Her lungs protested, her heart racing, her brain telling her to shut up already. But she wouldn't, _couldn't_. 11 years of frustration poured out. Josh joined in after a while, but their screams quickly died out not long after.

Emma looked up at Josh, gasping for air. He looked back at her, seeing the flecks of green reflecting brightly, making the brown in her eyes almost disappear. They fell back onto the grass laughing hysterically.

"Oh my God…that felt good," Emma said finally, still breathing heavily. She turned her head to glance at Josh. She felt him grasp her hand, making her smile as their fingers became intertwined. Josh looked at her, his blue eyes shining. He leaned forward slowly. Emma watched, completely mesmerized by his eyes. His lips hovered above hers for a moment. Emma's eyes fluttered close as their lips met. He kissed her softly, gently. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough to make the butterflies in Emma's stomach go mad.

After Josh leaned back, it took her a moment to open her eyes. He smiled at her, pulling her a little closer then gazing back up at the sky. She lied her head against his shoulder, as he held her hand against his chest. They laid there, silently for a while longer before realizing they needed to head back.

Emma reluctantly slipped into the water after him, hanging onto Josh with one hand, and holding their dry shoes up with the other. He lead her to a shallow stream.

"The path back up to the rover is over here," josh pointed past the stream. As they walked along after putting their shoes back on, Emma began to notice the markings on the rocks. They were on the walls, the ground beneath her feet, everywhere.

"What are these?" she asked, stopping.

"I'm not sure…Skye showed them to me a while back but we couldn't figure it out…"

As Emma continued to stare, her mind flashed back to her father when he told her about Lucas trying to make the portal go both ways. She was pretty sure that took a lot of math, which was what the markings appeared to be. She felt her heart skip a beat.

"What's wrong?" Josh was beginning to look concerned.

"N-nothing," she lied. "Let's go…"

**Skye:**

She continued to run through the dense jungle, her legs covered in scratches from the plants. Her sonic gun was tucked into the small of her back just in case she ran into any dinosaurs, or even to possibly protect her from the Sixers.

Skye stopped at a small clearing, a few men were suddenly aiming their guns at her. "Don't shoot! It's me, Skye!" she said quickly, holding her hands up. _Every time!_ she thought.

"Oh, Mira's waiting for you," one of the Sixers said.

"Yeah, I know."

"Gun," the man said, holding out his hand. She handed him her weapon, and headed up to the balcony in the tree.

She walked into the room, looking around nervously.

"Good, you're here," Mira said, appearing out of the darkness.

"What do you want? You know, you could've gotten me caught, using a _note_ to contact me!" Skye snapped.

Mira arched her eyebrows. "Careful, we wouldn't want your mother to miss her daily dose of her medication, would we?"

Skye frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. She slowly shook her head.

"Good. And that would be our _other_ spy's fault. She's new," Mira said. "But she said I should ask you about the 11th pilgrimage."

"What about it?" Skye crossed her arms.

"Apparently, someone interesting came through?"

Skye felt her stomach drop. She _had_ to be talking about Emma. Who_ else _would it be?

"W-well…would you like to be more specific? About 100 people came through." She wasn't exactly fond of this new girl, but she wasn't about to tell the Sixers everything about another kid her age especially since she was Commander Taylor's daughter. _Especially_ since it could put her life in danger.

"Well, since our other spy seems to think you know her, I'd think she'd be around your age maybe?" Mira was beginning to grow impatient, taking a step towards Skye.

She gulped. "There were a few teenagers that came."

"Skye…" the Sixer leader's voice had become dangerous. "You know who I'm talking about don't you?"

Skye nodded, knowing the consequences if she pushed any further. "H-her name is Emma…Taylor… She's Commander Taylor's daughter."

Outside on the baloney, a man stood in the darkness, listening. His jade green eyes snapped open when he heard the young spy say the girl's name.

Mira raised her eyebrows higher, her mouth slightly open. "_What_? Taylor doesn't have a daughter."

"I'm _not_ lying! I swear." Skye was shaking, terrified that Mira was going to slap her. It was obvious she was not convinced.

"Are you stupid? You think I'm going to believe your lie? What are you trying to do?" Mira snapped.

"She's not." the young man walked in, glaring at Skye. "Lying, that is."

Mira and Skye looked up at the tall, dirty man, shocked.

"Lucas?"

"Lucas…Taylor?" Skye gasped.

"Yes, I've been told I have his eyes…"

"What are you doing here?" Mira asked.

"I came to speak with you…but then I overheard your _spy_…." He redirected his gaze back down to Skye. "Are you sure? My…my _sister_, she's here?" his hard eyes softened for a second, making him resemble Commander Taylor that much more.

Skye nodded, struggling to breathe. "I met her yesterday…"

Mira continued to stand there, in the background now, dumbfounded.

"You're free to go, but, expect to hear from us soon…" Lucas said, waving Skye out.

Skye stood there for a moment, still staring at Lucas. He glanced at her, looking annoyed. "Go see your mother, _Bucket,_" he growled.

She opened her mouth, about to ask how the hell he knew her family nickname, but decided against it, quickly stumbling out of the door.

Lucas leaned against the railing. His eyes were wide, pained as he thought back to last time he'd seen his baby sister. She'd been hanging onto him, her face buried in his neck, she'd been completely terrified. So had he. Then suddenly she'd been torn from his arms and minutes later he had watched his mother die. All of these years, he'd held onto the hope that Emma was alive, out there somewhere. He remembered how quickly his father had given up all hope, how _easily_ he had moved on. Lucas clenched his fist tightly, the hatred flashing in his eyes. And _now_ she was back, she _was alive_. He had been right, all of those years.

_I have to see her_, he thought, walking out of the room.

**Terra Nova:**

The group slid under the gates and sprinted back to their house where they quickly cleaned themselves off. Hunter had been fairly pleased when he noticed Josh and Emma holding hands a couple of times.

When they were done, they all sat out front for a while as the sun began to set. Emma shivered as the breeze came. Josh pulled off his sweater, handing it to her. She eagerly put it on, ignoring the fact it was a bit big on her. She leaned against him. Max passed around a bowl of oranges as they sat and talked. At about eight, Josh and Emma headed home.

When they reached her house, she gave him a quick kiss then leaning back for a moment laughing as he tried to reach her again. She shook her head, turning on her heels to walk to the front door. She gave him a little wave and walked inside.

"Oh, you're home, I was getting worried," a voice said from her father's study.

Emma gasped in surprise when her father appeared in the doorway. "Jesus…sorry I didn't realize you were home yet. You scared me.." Emma laughed, rubbing her chest, trying to calm her heart rate.

Taylor smiled, then his brow furrowed when he looked at her again. "Who's sweatshirt is that?"

Her head snapped down to see she was still wearing Josh's sweater. "Uh…" she debated about telling him who it belonged to as he raised his eyebrows waiting for her answer. "J-Josh Shannon's…."

"Jim's son?"

Emma nodded. "We were all hanging out and I got cold…so um.. Yeah he offered me his jacket…"

"We?"

"Oh uh, Hunter, Tasha and Max..and Josh...we hung out today.."

Her father's mind flashed back to the last time that group had gone OTG, when they were almost killed by a pack of Slashers. "What did you guys do?" he asked, worried they had taken Emma outside the gates.

"Just hung out at their house..."

"What about Skye?"

"She wasn't there...I don't know why..." _What's with the interegation, _she thought.

Taylor nodded, a suspicious glint in his eyes. "Alright, well don't forget to give the sweatshirt back," he laughed. "Are you going to bed?"

_No_, Emma thought to his first statement. "Yes," she answered to the second.

"Well goodnight," Taylor said, returning to his study.

Emma hugged the large sweater close to her, smiling as she walked into her room. She put on PJ shorts, but kept the sweater. Curling up in bed, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander over the day's events.

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><p>haaa what'd you think? happy with the small bit of lucas we saw? and the joshemma kiss? aha

lucas should be in the next chapter a lottt more :DDDD


	10. Alone

here's chapter 10! hope you like it :) aha

**LadyStrider17: **nooo kara doesn't exist here loll

**AlexisSalvatore17:** um i originally thought maybe but noo... i mean skye is basically the same age as emma, his baby sister, so wouldn't that be creepy?

thanks for the nice reviewsss (:

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><p>"Hey," Emma smiled as she walked down into Boylan's empty bar. Josh looked up from where he stood behind the counter cleaning cups to smile back.<p>

She leaned over the counter, watching Josh finish the dishes quickly. It had been about two weeks since he had taken her OTG, since their first kiss, and the beginning of their little relationship. Within that time, she had slowly begun to open up to her father, especially since he started teaching her how to shoot, which she loved immensely. She and Josh were also becoming more open, holding hands in the market, and even a quick kiss every now and again, which seemed to make Skye detest her more and more. Soon it seemed like everyone except their parents knew about them.

Josh put back the last cup then leaned over the counter towards Emma. "What can I get for you, Miss?" he joked.

"How about a glass of wine, bartender?" she said sweetly, suppressing the urge to laugh.

Josh leaned closer. "I'm afraid you're underage…" he said, pointing to the _21+_ sign on the wall behind him.

"Hm… is there anything I could do to make you forget that rule?" she whispered, arching her eyebrows.

Josh nodded, smirking. Emma leaned forward more. She planted her lips on his, a small smile forming. Her lips were beginning to part, as were his, when they heard someone walk up next to them.

"Jesus, Shannon!" a thick Australian accent laughed. "Kiss your girlfriend on your own time."

They pulled back quickly. Josh grimaced as Emma began to blush. The man smiled at her, then at Josh as he arched his eyebrows, nodding, making Emma blush more.

"Uh…Emma, this is my um, boss, Tom Boylan…Boylan, this is Emma Taylor," Josh said, determined to break the awkward silence.

"Nice to meet you," Emma forced a small smile.

"_Taylor_…you're the _Commander's_ daughter, right?" Boylan said, still grinning.

"Yeah…that's me…but I prefer Emma," she found it incredibly annoying when she was continuously referred to as 'the Commander's kid.'

"Well, welcome to Terra Nova, _Emma_."

"Thanks."

"And Shannon, _don't ignore the rule_," Boylan said as he walked away.

Emma's jaw dropped a little. She smacked her hands against her face. "Oh my God, he heard me…" she murmured, embarrassed.

Josh laughed, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. "He's just messing with you, Em. Don't worry, he's like that with everyone."

She nodded, beginning to laugh herself. "What a great first impression right?" she bit her lip. "Well I should probably go… my dad's taking me shooting again," she said, clearly excited.

"He _is_? Didn't you hit someone last time?"

"No!" her brow furrowed. "Almost…_almost_.. But I didn't."

Josh arched his eyebrows in amusement. "Alright, just don't shoot yourself in the foot or something," he grinned.

"_Ha-ha_," she sneered, sticking her tongue out childishly. "See ya later."

Emma turned and walked to the steps, back up to the fresh air.

"She seems nice…pretty too. I remember her brother… he was always a bit of an ass…"

Josh swung around to see Boylan walking back behind the counter. Josh nodded.

"Doesn't look much like Taylor though, her brother looked like a younger version of his father…" he shrugged. "Does the Commander know that you're dating his daughter?"

"No…."

Boylan simply laughed, and poured himself a drink.

**Later: **

Emma fired again. It hit the paper target's arm. "Dammit…" she muttered.

She watched her father shoot, hitting the target square in the chest. Mimicking his stance, she tried again, hitting the target's stomach. She shrugged. _Closer_.

"Keep your hands steady," Taylor advised, watching Emma aim. She steadied herself and fired.

"YES!" she yelled. Taylor laughed, staring at the target with several holes in it's sides and one about an inch below the center of it's chest. "Close enough!" Emma said proudly.

It was so different from when he had taught Lucas when he was 13. Lucas, being the perfectionist and all, had become easily frustrated, but refused to stop until he got it right. Emma, on the other hand, simply had fun with it.

Sensing that her father was lost in his thoughts, she fired again, wondering if the gunshots would snap him out of it.

"Do you think he's alive?" she asked as she aimed.

"Hm? What? Who?" he said, slowly coming back.

"…Lucas…do you think he's alive?"

Taylor looked at his daughter, they hadn't spoken about Lucas since he told her what happened. "It's possible…"

Emma nodded. She wondered if he knew about the writing on the rocks. She'd been think about that a lot lately. The math on the rocks, she knew it was way beyond what she had learned so far. But her brother was a genius, he always had been. If it _was_ him, she wouldn't be sure unless she went back.

The next day, Emma woke up earlier than usual. She threw on shorts, a t-shirt, and her shoes. She straightened her hair quickly and practically inhaled her small breakfast.

"In a rush?" Taylor asked as he watched while drinking his coffee, wondering why on earth she was awake so early.

"Uh…no, I'm just hanging out with Skye today, and it's cooler in the morning…?" she lied, surprised that her father seemed to buy it. She rushed back into her room, closing the door behind her.

She threw her canteen, into her small backpack along with a portable radio, a couple of apples, and Josh's sweater that she still had.

"Hey, I'm heading out!" she called to her father in his study.

"Don't be out too late!"

Emma hurriedly headed towards Skye's house. She knocked on the door a few times, fidgeting with her backpack straps.

Skye answered, her brow furrowing when she saw who it was. "Emma? What are you doing here?" she yawned. "It's like 8 in the morning!"

"Could I uh, come in?" Emma asked, feeling nervous.

"S-sure." Emma followed Skye inside. "What's wrong?" Skye asked, notice Emma's expression.

"Um…I was wondering if you could cover for me…"

Skye simply arched her right eyebrow as if to say, '_And why would I help you?'_

"…I have to OTG…"

"With Josh?" Skye said, crossing her arms, envy flickering in her eyes.

"No…no, I didn't want to even tell Josh cuz he'd just want to come too…but I need to go alone." Emma said, her voice getting quieter.

"Where are you going, exactly?"

"The falls…"

"W-what? That's like 5 klicks away! And you want to go _alone_, and _walk_? Through the jungle…where there are _dinosaurs_.."

"I'll be fine…I just…I think I found something about my….my brother."

Skye's eyes widened as she remembered meeting Lucas. He had been making the Sixers get her to their camp a lot lately, asking for frequent updates about Emma. "You think he's alive?"

Emma nodded. "You know the writing on all of those rocks? I saw them when we went OTG last time…I-I think _Lucas_ did that…."

Skye felt irritated. Josh must've shown her….and he'd promised not to tell anyone.

"So will you? I won't be out there long….it's just in case my dad asks where I am or was today." Emma gave Skye a small, hopeful smile.

She frowned but agreed. "I really don't think it's a good idea…but I don't think me saying no is going to stop you…so I might as well help," Skye sighed, walking back to her room for a moment. She dug through her nightstand drawer, but only found her father's old combat knife. Her sonic gun was still hidden at one of the outposts on her route to the Sixer camp.

"Here, take this at least," Skye handed her the black knife and a knife holster for her ankle. "Don't put it on until you're out there though…"

"Thank you, Skye…I owe you one," Emma smiled, putting the knife in her pack.

"Don't…die or anything. Josh would kill me," Skye joked dryly.

"I'll do my best," Emma faked a laugh.

"You better get going, it's a _long_ walk and if you want to make it back before it's dark you need to hurry," Skye advised, motioning towards the door. "I know you haven't had a lot of survival training, sojust… stay sharp, okay?"

Emma nodded and walked out and began to make her way towards where she and Josh had sneaked out last time. She prayed that she would be able to find the falls, though the path was pretty clear. She crawled under the fence and worked her way into the foliage. She quickly knelt down, taking the knife out of her backpack, strapping the holster to her ankle. Emma had learned enough about the jungle, to know that the knife would do her little good, but it still felt nice to have. The jungle felt so much bigger now that she was alone.

Emma forged along, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as the sun bore down on her. She was exhausted, her legs were aching from walking uphill. The sounds of dinosaurs in the distance frightened her. Her mind was racing, heart pounding as she continued. She could tell she was getting close, recognizing familiar spots from when they had gone OTG last, but the jungle grew fast so she couldn't be sure.

**Terra Nova: **

Skye's head snapped up when there was a loud knock on her front door. She hesitantly stood from her seat in the kitchen.

"Hello, Skye!" Commander Taylor said when she poked her head out of the door, Jim Shannon stood behind him. _Crap!_ she thought.

"Hi, um…can I help you with something?" she said, still not fully opening the door, which Taylor had noticed.

"I was just coming by to see how you and Emma were doing. Is she here?" he asked. That morning, when Emma had been rushing around, and given him the unconvincing excuse that she was going to Skye's and something about it being cooler in the morning had made her father slightly suspicious.

"O-of course, sir. But she's in the bathroom right now I think…" Skye lied, her heart racing as she struggled to come up with an excuse. She hadn't expected Emma's father to come by while they were supposedly hanging out.

Her lie was obvious. Taylor shook his head. "Skye…I _know_ she's not here… do you know where she is?" he asked, his face growing tough again.

Skye gulped, unsure if she should say where she really was. "I don't know."

"Do _not_ lie to me, please. Where is she and why are you two lying to me?" he questioned.

Jim's brow furrowed as he crossed his arms, staring at Skye. "Is she in trouble or something?" the cop asked.

"I-I don't know…." Skye's mouth felt dry as she continued, the two men stared at her harshly. "She asked me to cover for her…she said it had to do with her brother…and she had to go…outside the gates." She swallowed thickly as she saw the horror on the Commander's face.

"You. Let. Her. Go?" Taylor growled. Skye felt terrible, she knew she shouldn't have let her go, but she hadn't really wanted to stop her at the time.

"Skye," Jim said, drawing her attention away from the furious Commander. "_Why didn't you come to us?_"

"I-I… she would've gone anyways… I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking," Skye whispered, tears of frustration prickling behind her eyes.

"No, you weren't," Taylor snapped. He had never been mean to Skye, but right now his anger was getting the best of him. "Do you know _where_ she went?" He began to wonder if she knew about Lucas's calculations on the rocks at the falls. But how could she? How could anyone know?

Skye nodded, looking down at her feet. "To Snakehead Falls."

Taylor's eyes widened. "What's out there? Why would she go there?" Jim asked, confused.

"C'mon Shannon, we need to go get her before something else does," Taylor said, turning to leave, ignoring the cop's questions.

Skye stood in her doorway, internally kicking herself repeatedly. She watched as Jim quickly followed after the Commander. _Please be okay, Emma_, her mind begged as she leaned against the door for support.

**Snakehead Falls:**

She carefully made her way down the path she and Josh had used to get back up to the rover. She carefully walked along the rocks to where the writing was. Tiredly dropping her backpack down, she knelt next to it, pulling out an apple. Her stomach growled, begging for food. She quickly ate, then began to look over the writing. There were equations, diagrams, and more. Emma didn't understand any of it. She moved closer to the ones on the rock wall, above the water. She stared at it, her fingers lightly tracing over the smooth face of the rock, following the yellow lines of a diagram.

Mesmerized by all of it, she failed to notice footsteps on the rocks behind her. She continued to study the calculations, her mind flickering back to times when she had watched her brother do his math homework when she was little. It all looked so complicated and foreign, much how these equations felt to her now. She strained her head back to stare up at the higher markings. _How the hell did those get up there_? she thought. Suddenly she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She froze.

"Well…what do we have here?" a man's voice said. "I didn't know the great Commander Taylor was allowing children outside the gates now."

Emma whipped around. There stood a young man. He was dirty, tall, stubble growing on his face, his sandy hair was messy. He smirked at her, amusement lingered on his face. It wasn't until her frightened eyes met his…his jade green eyes, that it hit her. She inhaled sharply, losing her footing for a second, almost toppling over into the water. Something akin to shock began to form on the man's face as well, his mischievous grin fading. Her brow furrowed, as did his.

"Oh my God…" she breathed, "_Lucas_?"

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><p>ohhh mmm ggg lol...yup so they've finally crossed paths again! (: sorry the chapter was a bit short<p>

i hope the next chapter will be up by tomorrow, but it's possible it wont be until wed. instead...in the middle of a move, and school :/ but i'll get it up asap


	11. Reunited

sorry i couldn't update yesterday! i won't be able to again until friday :/ got tests to study for tonight!

hope you like this chapter :))

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><p>"Oh my God….<em>Lucas<em>?"

Realization slowly sank into his eyes as he continued to stare at her. He licked his lips, opening his mouth to speak, but found that words failed him. There was his _baby sister_, who wasn't much of a baby anymore, right in front of him.

Brother and sister stood there, gazing at each other, speechless. Both shocked to see the other, and no doubt thinking back to the last time they saw the other.

Emma began to cautiously walk forward until she was out of the water on the edge of the rock. Her shoes were filled with puddles of water, and the knife holster was chaffing her ankle, but she ignored them. She now was about four feet away from Lucas.

"You're here…" he said finally, his voice hoarse, faltering momentarily.

Her eyes flickered down, then back up to her big brother. Her eyebrows knitted together, a tight forced smile formed on her lips as she held herself on the verge of tears.

Lucas dropped his backpack beside Emma's. He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking back down at her. He could seen the pain creeping onto her face as she struggled to hold back tears, though he couldn't tell if they were because she was happy to see him, or because she was also remembering Somalia. His eyes softened as he looked at her, he hated to see her upset, he always had.

"Wh-when I heard you were out here…th-that you've _been_ out here, for so long, I didn't think anyone could have survived….I-I…I thought you were dead…" she whispered, staring down at his feet. Her lip began to quiver, a small tear rolled down her cheek.

Lucas suddenly founding himself wrapping his arms around her, trying to cease her tears. He felt her stumble back, surprised by his action, but she didn't pull away. She quickly wrapped her arms around him as well, her head against his chest.

Emma _knew_ what he had done, she _knew _that she should be furious with him. She knew the right thing to do, would've been to tell him to stay away. He wasn't the same brother he had been, he was a psychopath. He tried to _murder_ their father! He wanted to destroy her home. She felt the knife holster rub uncomfortably against her ankle again, reminding her of it's presence, as if to say, '_Skye gave me to you for a reason.'_ Emma _wanted_ push him away. But she couldn't, not at this moment. Not when she had Lucas back. The big brother who had always protected her and taken care of her when their father was away, and their other was always working. It was _Lucas_ who filled her earliest childhood memories. _Since when to psychopaths care about other people? They don't, _she thought, _so maybe he's not… _She let everything she had heard about him, melt away, leaving her mind in an instant.

"I thought I'd never see you again…" she cried quietly into his shirt.

Lucas shut his eyes tightly, flashing back to when he had seen her being carried away, the dread of possibly never seeing his little sister again had tortured him.

After a minute or so, he released her. She wiped her face, quickly composing herself. She always had hated crying in front of others, especially someone that she looked up to, or _had_ looked up to. Lucas looked at her with worried eyes.

She glanced up at him, studying his face. He looked tired. The dark circles under his eyes and stubble growing on his face made him look 10 years older than he was. He was covered in a fair amount of dirt, which made sense…him living in the jungle and all. She felt herself start to smile a bit.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she suddenly was okay.

"Y-you look like crap…" she muttered. Lucas arched his eyebrows, surprised by her sudden humorous attitude…and by her comment.

"Well I've been living out here for about five years….and as you can see, it's not exactly _Terra Nova_…and you look uh good…. A _lot_ taller than I remember…" he grinned, trying to help lighten the mood. He had been full of anger and hatred towards his father for quite some time, and it felt good to…feel happy.

Emma chuckled under her breath. "Yeah…"

**Taylor & Jim:**

"Do you think she's already there? It's a pretty far walk, and we don't know exactly what time she started or if she got lost or anything…" Jims said, looking out of the rover.

"If she's not there, we'll call out a search party…but I'd like to keep this as quiet as possible…" was all Taylor said, keeping his focus on the dirt road heading towards the falls.

"why would she even go to Snakehead Falls? …isn't that by where…the kids got attacked a few months ago?"

Taylor swallowed thickly, trying to push the memory of that out of his mind. "Her brother…my son… his favorite past times appear to be working on a way to destroy Terra Nova and taunting me…by writing his calculations on the rocks by the falls… he wants me to know he's getting closer…" Taylor said, his blue eyes hurt.

"So he is alive?" Jim's eyes were wide.

'Can't this damn thing go any faster?" Taylor snapped, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Jim sat in silence, wondering when Emma had discovered the place…and if she was alright, seeing the frustration grow on the Commander's face as they sped through the jungle.

**Lucas & Emma:**

"So…I was placed in foster care…I honestly thought I'd never get to have a real family again…until I got a letter saying I was being recruited for Terra Nova…I was_ so_ happy that I was going to get you and Dad back…I was going to get to go to this new world and get to be with my family again…but then I got here…" She sighed, peeling away more bark from the fallen tree the now sat on.

They had left the falls, gone back to the jungle, simply walking. They had headed deeper into the jungle, neither of them seeming to notice where they were headed as they talked. They'd been walking about fifteen minutes when they decided to just sit. Lucas had been quickly asking her questions about the past 11 years, like he wanted to distract her almost, keep from talking about _him_. But in the back of her mind, she held onto her many questions for him.

"Paradise not what you expected?" he chuckled darkly.

Emma tried to ignore his condescending tone. "The _first _thing I did when I saw him…was yell at him… a lot…" she passed a hand over her face, her elbow resting on her knee.

"He deserved it…" Lucas stared off into the trees. "Have you spoken since…?" She knew what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to say no. For her to say that she would never speak to their father again, that she hated him.

Emma watched her brother out of the corner of her eye as he waited for her answer. "Yes…" she saw him frown, annoyance written all over his face. "I haven't _forgiven_ him…but I'm _not_ going to give him the cold shoulder for the rest of my life, Lucas."

His eyes snapped up to meet hers. "_Why not_? I am…" his green eyes turned dark.

She laughed. "Because that's working _so well_ for you!" she rolled her eyes. "You're living alone in the jungle, spending your days writing calculations on a bunch of rocks, probably staying up all night thinking about hating our father, oh, and nice scars by the way, I'm guessing they're from a _dinosaur_?" She arched her eyebrows, waiting for him to come up with something to say. When he still said nothing, she grabbed up her backpack, turning to leave. "Dad was right…. You really have changed…" she said quietly.

"How can you _not_ hate him?" Lucas sneered. "He _left you_ in Somalia. He never even looked for you!" _Check_, he thought. There was no way she could justify her father basically forgetting about her.

Emma swung back around, eyes flashing. "_And you did_?" she snapped. _Check mate._

Lucas knew he had nothing to counter her words. She was right, and he knew it. He wanted to kick himself for setting himself up for that one.

"That's what I thought…" Disappointment flickered in her dark pupils. She turned and quickly disappeared into the trees, leaving Lucas alone, unsure of what to do next.

Emma furiously pushed through the plants, muttering to herself about how going out there to the rocks was such a waste of time, and what did she expect? Her father had told her what Lucas had become, and she knew he was right, but she still hadn't wanted to believe it. And now it was going to get dark soon, and she was in the middle of the jungle…_lost_. She hadn't realized it at first, but now she did…she had no idea which way to turn. The trees were so thick where she was, she couldn't see very far ahead. Turning in a quick circle, she couldn't even remember which way was back to Snakehead Falls. "Great…_just great!_" she murmured. A small, cold breeze rolled through the plants, biting her bare skin. She grasped her arms, a quick shiver raking her body. She turned back to the direction she had been heading and continued on, praying it was the right way.

*Snap!*

Emma froze. She whipped her head around, straining to see what made the sound.

*Crack!*

Panic began to well up inside of her as the sound of another branch breaking was heard closer by. Her heart was pounding, and she still could not see anything or anyone around her.

"Lucas?" she croaked.

The faint sounds of something moving in the brush could be heard now. Emma was shaking. She slowly knelt, pulling the knife from the holster. She gripped it tightly, holding it in front of herself. "_Lucas?_ Are you there?" she said a little louder. But she knew it wasn't him. She backed away quickly, tripping over a large root. She fell to the ground with a loud thud, knocking the breath out of her. Quickly jumping back up, she held her breath, trying to hear the creature. _Nothing_. She sighed, her breathing jagged with fear, turned on her heels to continue walking. She found herself facing a large, dark dinosaur.

Lucas continued to walk in the direction he had seen his little sister go. He hoped he could at least make sure she got back to Terra Nova safely. As he wandered through, seeing the obvious trail she had left behind, he began to notice other foot prints as well…following Emma's footprints. _Slasher_, he thought.

"_Shit!_" His face grew pale, and as if on que, he heard a terrified high pitched scream echo through the trees.

And he was running, jumping over logs, swerving through the maze of trees, almost stumbling over a couple roots. He burst into a small clearing just in time to see Emma throw herself to the ground to avoid the Slasher's barbed tail.

"Emma!" he shouted, before she even looked over to see him, he whipped out his sonic, that he had kept tucked in the small of his back, out. Without hesitation he flipped it to the highest setting and fired.

The dinosaur cried out, shocked, it quickly stumbled into the trees. Lucas knew it hadn't left though. He fired once more into the trees, hoping to scare it farther away for now. He rushed forward to the frightened girl who had plugged her ears when he fired the gun.

Emma lay on the ground, covered in dirt. Her eyes watered as she struggled to catch her breath. She pushed herself to her knees, spitting a small amount of dirt from her mouth.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" the panic in his voice was obvious. Lucas knelt in front of her, lifting her chin so she was forced to look at him in the eye.

Still shaken, Emma nodded. "I-I think so…" Lucas squinted, finding it hard to see her face clearly in the dim lighting. She let him help her to her feet, allowing him to hold her close as he circled quickly to make sure there weren't any other Slashers beginning to sneak up on them.

"We need to go, _now_," he said, picking up the combat knife she had dropped, and handed it back to her. "They'll come back soon enough."

She felt him grasp her elbow, quickly leading her away.

**Taylor & Jim:**

When they reached the falls, they carefully climbed down to where the rocks were. The sun was setting, making it harder to see clearly. The Commander pointed a flashlight out towards the rock walls. Jim could vaguely make out the yellow writings. They were hard to see from the distance they were at.

"I don't see her…" Jim said after a while.

Taylor carefully looked around, shining the flashlight towards the ground. "Look…" He squatted down, pointed to a pair of small, muddy footprints on some of the rocks. Across from them were much larger boot prints, facing towards the small ones.

Jim stared down at them. "Do you think she ran into someone?….Lucas…maybe?"

Taylor stood still, trying to sort through his conflicted thoughts. "Maybe…it might be better if Lucas found her than something else…"

Jim nodded in agreement. "So what do we do now?"

"Even if she _is_ with Lucas, I don't trust him…and we can't be sure she is… we need to get a search party out here as soon as possible." Taylor stood and quickly began his way back to the rover.

**Lucas & Emma:**

She felt dazed, her head was dizzy and she was exhausted. Her ears still rang from the sonic blast shooting right over her head. Her body hurt from falling onto the ground twice. But she continued to walk, Lucas guiding her through the darkening forest.

"When can I go home?" she muttered, stumbling over another root.

"We're too far away from Terra Nova, you'll never make it back in time. It'd be better to just hide out here until tomorrow," Lucas replied. He had considered bringing her to his place at the Sixer camp, but quickly decided against it. It was much farther, and he didn't want to think of what the Sixers might do, or want to do anyways.

Emma followed him, but the exhaustion was taking it's toll on her. She hadn't eaten since she first arrived at Snakehead Falls, which was hours before. She wondered if her father eve knew she was missing yet, if Skye really covered for her. She wondered what Josh was doing too…she had told him she was going to be hanging out with Skye as well. Another shiver racked her body. Emma stopped for a moment, wanting to take out Josh's sweatshirt she had packed, but Lucas pulled her along, almost making her drop her backpack.

"They're going to come looking for me…" She piped up, hoping to maybe convince him to simply take her back to Terra Nova.

"I'm sure they will. But the chances of them finding us in this part of the jungle and at night, are very slim." Lucas felt his sister stiffen, realized how his words sounded. "I'm going to bring you back, okay?"

Emma nodded, though she knew he didn't see it. They continued to walk until Lucas was sure they were out of the Slasher territory. He knew this jungle like the back of his hand, but Emma on the other hand, didn't even know what direction they were heading. Lucas pushed through a thick wall of foliage, pulling Emma in with him. Inside was a small, well concealed camp. There was a burnt out fire pit and some logs around it to sit on.

"Like it? It's not some fancy Terra Nova housing unit or anything, but I'm alive aren't I?" Lucas chuckled quietly, watching as Emma hesitantly took a seat against the farther log. She held her arms close, goosebumps forming on her bare arms and legs.

"Here," he said, beginning to unbutton his shirt.

She shook her head. "No thanks…" she murmured, quickly yanking out Josh's sweatshirt and shimming into it. She pulled her legs up to her chest, her chin resting on her knees.

Lucas arched his eyebrows, glancing at the sweatshirt, that was obviously too big for her…and obviously _not_ Emma's. "Who's is that?" he asked, sitting on another log.

She glared at him, still frustrated with herself for going OTG alone. "My…._friend's_…" she replied, not really wanting to talk about boys with him.

"It looks like a boy's sweatshirt." He stood up, beginning to build up a new fire using wood that had been stored off to the side. He pulled an almost empty box of matches from his backpack and lit it, watching as the flames grew, smoke rising towards the sky.

"Nice observation. Now shut up and leave me alone…" she snapped, turning her head away from him.

"What is your problem?" his green eyes darkened again.

"Oh I don't know…just that I'm stuck here with _you._"

"_I just saved your life!_" he growled, his tone frightened her a bit.

"_You tried to kill our father_," she threw back.

Lucas grew quiet once again. He hadn't fully realized that she knew about everything he'd done, was doing. "He told you about that?" his voice was low, frustrated.

"So it's true…" she whispered, looking at her brother who's face softened minutely. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"Why _don't_ you? You have every reason to." He looked back at her finally, unable to understand how she couldn't hold a grudge against Commander Taylor.

"Because he's our _father_," she said quietly. "Yeah…I hate some of the things he's done…decisions he's made…and I don't know if I'll ever fully forgive him, but I could never _hate _him…I don't want to lose any more people I care about…" She stared at the ground in front of her with solemn eyes.

"You look a lot like Mom you know…" Lucas told her after a long pause. Her hazel eyes flitted up to him, then to the bright fire. She gripped her legs closer to her, rocking back slightly before finally laying down next to the log. Emma gazed up at the shining stars, her mind beginning to wander.

Lucas continuously attempted to get Emma to speak to him, to no avail. "Do you …_hate _me?" he asked, his expression almost painful to see. He had accepted his father's hatred for him, but his _baby sister_? That he wasn't sure he could handle. He felt momentarily _ashamed _of what he had done, how it made Emma look at him… the same way their father had looked at him when he discovered his plans.

Emma shook her head, looking at him sympathetically. "No…"

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

Emma paused staring back up at the night sky, the truth overwhelming her, making it hard to look her brother in the eye. "Because…because _I don't know you_…not anymore…"

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><p>review review reviewwww ((((: lol this chapter took me foreverrr to write ! had some crazy bad writers block lol<p> 


	12. Heading Home

thankyou for the nice reviews! :DDD

**smurf5:** omg! i squeel with glee when i see all of your reviews! thankyouu

**llamalloverr & LadyStrider17:** lol thanks! yeah lucas definitly has a soft spot for her, and so does taylor (:

hope you like the chapter (:

ps - im ususally too wiped out after writing to check for things like spelling errors aha so ignore those

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><p>"<em>Dad was right, you really have changed….I don't know you…not anymore."<em>

Emma's words haunted him. They repeated themselves over and over in his mind like a broken record until he wanted to scream. His brow furrowed as he continued to scale the tree in search of fruits, wishing the voices away. He had been going over the previous day's events all morning, analyzing them in his genius brain.

What pained him more than her hurtful words, was remembering he Slasher attack. Hearing her bloodcurdling scream. Seeing her on the ground, defenseless as the dinosaur stood over her. Her terrified face and shaking body. She had tossed and turned all night, whimpering every now and then, as if she were reliving the entire thing in her mind. Lucas had been so afraid that he would lose her again, only this time, it would've been forever.

Lucas shook his head, trying to dispose of the horrifying thought. He hauled himself onto a branch and reached out, grabbing a couple plump, orange fruits and placing them in his bag. He carefully slid down, barely managing to stick the landing. He quietly headed back to the little camp where Emma still lay on the ground, sound asleep.

She had fought to stay awake for hours, her penetrating gaze focused on the towering canopy and blanket of stars above them, every once and a while moving to look at Lucas for a little while. She hadn't said a single word after telling her brother that "she didn't know him anymore." He had watched her sadly, then in annoyance. He didn't understand how a _child_, could bring him to his knees like that, make him care that she ignored him, that she was angry at him, make him feel _shame, _when his father could never get anywhere near making him feel like that. He usually would have hit someone if they had said some of the things she had said to him, but he could _never_ hurt Emma. She was probably the only person he actually cared about.

Lucas shoved the leaves concealing the entrance aside. He walked in, biting into one of the fruits. Emma was curled up next to the faded fire. Her nose scrunched up her eyes beginning to flutter open as she smelt the fruit's strong aroma. She slowly sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Mornin'," Lucas smiled, continuing to eat as his sister looked around, confusion sweeping across her face.

Emma glanced down at the dirt beneath her, around at the trees that surrounded, at the fire pit in front of her, then finally at Lucas. Her eyes widened as the memories came flooding back. "Holy crap…" she said under her breath, swallowing thickly. The sun shone down on then, making beads of sweat form on Emma's body. She peeled off Josh's sweatshirt, grabbing her backpack to put it back in. When she peered inside it though, she saw that her radio was gone.

"Did you go through my backpack?" she turned to her brother, suspicion whirring behind her tired eyes. "Did you take my radio?"

"No…What makes you think I took it?" Lucas arched his eyebrows, unfazed by the accusation. He hadn't even known she had a radio.

"Because it's _gone_!"

"Maybe it fell out?" He took another bite out of his fruit.

"And _when_ would th-," she stopped short, remembering the Slasher attack. There had been plenty of chances for things to fall of her bag. She looked away, embarrassed.

"Hungry?" Lucas quickly changed the subject, hoping to ease the tension. He held up the other fruit.

Emma's mouth watered as she gazed at the food. Her stomach growled loudly, eliciting a blush from her and a small laugh from Lucas. He tossed the fruit to her, watching her catch it gracefully. The siblings ate in silence, both staring off in different directions.

"When are you going to take me back to Terra Nova?" she questioned after eating the last of her fruit.

Sometime during their quiet time, Lucas's eyes had darkened again. He checked his canteen to see ho see how much water he had left, then his plex, pulling up a map of the area to find the quickest route to his father's colony. "Soon, baby sister…soon.." he muttered.

Emma's brow furrowed at his words. _Baby sister?_ His tone sounded like that of the newer Lucas, the one her father had spoke of. She sat back, taking a long sip from her nearly empty canteen, hoping he would go back to _her_ Lucas. _This_ Lucas…though she hated to admit, he _scared_ her.

**Terra Nova:**

"Dad! What's going on?" Josh asked, eyeing the large group of soldiers preparing to leave.

"Josh, not now. I have to go. I'm -"

"Dad, _please_…" he begged. His father's anxious face made him worried as well.

Jim sighed. "It's Emma Taylor…she's gone missing."

"_Missing?_ Wh-when? Why?" his voice was panicked. He just seen Emma a couple days ago. She had been busy the day before hanging out with Skye… that's what he thought anyways.

"All I know is she went outside the gates alone yesterday…."

"What? She was with _Skye_ yesterday!"

"Skye was covering for her, but Emma didn't come back last night and she wasn't where she told Skye she'd be…that's all I can say, Josh…I'm sorry, but I need to go. The search party's about to roll out."

Jim could see the pain and fear on his son's face. He had guessed there was something going on between Josh and Emma, but he hadn't been sure. This pretty much confirmed it in his eyes.

"We'll find her. We'll bring her home," Jim promised.

**Lucas & Emma:**

"How far away are we now?" she asked, her legs growing tired as they trudged through the forest.

"You asked me that five minutes ago, Emma." Lucas glanced back at the map on his plex. Emma stared at him. "So five minutes closer than we were five minutes ago," he finished.

Emma rolled her eyes, continuing to flank his side. She felt especially paranoid at the moment. She had heard about the Sixers, the other group that split away from Terra Nova. She had heard they were basically savages, though she had never seen them herself. A dinosaur roared in the distance, making her rigid with fear. Lucas stopped, noticing her frightened face.

"Calm down…I won't let anything hurt you."

Emma felt small shreds of fear melt away, along with some of her anger again, when she heard his familiar, comforting voice. He reached out his hand to her. After a moment of hesitation, she gently grasped it, like she had so many times when she was little and something had scared her. Lucas had always been there to take care of her and make the fears quickly disappear, and she couldn't help but miss that.

They continued walking, the jungle beginning to become more open. Lucas knew they were getting closer. It upset him, not knowing when or _if_ he'd get to see Emma again.

"So what do I tell them?" she asked, sounding anxious.

"What?" he turned to look down at the short girl walking beside him.

"Um, Dad…and his sheriff, Jim Shannon… they'll ask what happened…what do I tell them?" Emma looked back up at him. She was starting to wonder how much trouble she'd be in…what her punishment would be for going OTG, _alone_.

Lucas shrugged. "Tell them what happened."

"What if they don't believe me?"

"Why wouldn't they believe you? You came out here, ran into me, got attacked by a Slasher and I saved you… Why _did_ you come out here?" He had never actually asked her.

Emma gritted her teeth. "I uh…I saw your writing on the rocks the last time I went OTG…and I wanted to come back and look at it again…"

"What's OTG…?" Lucas arched his eyebrows.

"Outside the Gates…"

"Clever…so you've been out here before?" He cautiously examined their surroundings, as if he expected something to jump out at them. Emma squeezed his hand tightly when they heard another dinosaur's roar, closer this time.

"N-no…well yes, but not _alone._"

"Who were you with? The boy that gave you that sweatshirt?" he teased, but it was obvious he was waiting for an answer.

Emma pulled her hand away, crossing her arms. "Nosey much?"

"I'm your _big brother_! Aren't I supposed to know these things?" he smiled down at her. She grinned, shaking her head

"Sorry, Lucas…but I'm not going to talk about guys with you…" she laughed.

"So you _were_ with a boy," Lucas said, "Who was it? Maybe I know him…"

"If you did, he would've been like 13 when you were last in Terra Nova. Besides, he came through on the 10th so you don't…"

Lucas stared at her, still waiting for a straight answer. Emma tried to avoid his bright green eyes, but eventually gave up, sighing loudly in defeat.

"His…his name is _Josh_…Josh Shannon." Emma fidgeted with guitar pick necklace* she had been keeping hidden under her shirt. Josh had given it to her a couple days before.

Lucas paused, a confused, surprised, and amused expression on his face. "Shannon? The new cop's kid?" he almost laughed, causing Emma respond with a harsh glare.

"_Yes_."

"Hm…" he nodded and continued on, leaving Emma a bit puzzled.

"Are we almost there?" she asked again, wanting to stop talking about Josh. She still felt horrible about lying to him, she wondered if he'd be angry when she got back.

"Yeah… we're about two klicks away… we should be there soon, assuming we don't run into any trouble…" Lucas's voice trailed off as he put his plex away and pulled out his gun.

Emma eyed the gun warily. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?" She immediately stuck closer to her brother, glancing around anxiously.

Suddenly a tall, African-American woman stepped out from behind the thick foliage, accompanied by two armed men. They were dirty, looked as if they'd been living out here for a while. They looked _dangerous_.

"Sixers?" she whispered to Lucas, practically clinging to him, her eyes wide.

Lucas lowered his weapon. "What the _hell _are you all doing this close to Terra Nova?"

"I should be asking _you_ the same question, Lucas," Mira said, her eyes shifting the small girl beside Lucas.

Emma's brow furrowed. Lucas _knew_ her? He _knew _the Sixers? She backed away slowly, eyes flashing. "Lucas…? Are you working for the Sixers?" she whispered, trying to compose herself. Her brother turned, seeing the mixed emotions on her face, all of them negative. Anger. Disbelief. Sadness. Frustration. But…he didn't _care_.

"Ha! No…_they_…they work for _me_." Emma could hear him slipping back into the frightening Lucas.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, still not putting the pieces together. Emma glared at her, crossing her arms and arching her eyebrows. "What's your name?" she asked again, her voice raising slightly, angry.

Lucas moved beside of his sister, slipping back into "old Lucas" as he put his arm out protectively in front of her. "What's _your's_?" Emma sneered, moving away from Lucas.

The woman arched her eyebrows, surprised and impressed by the girl's courage to stand up against a Sixer. "Mira," she replied, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"Oh right… the Sixer leader…" Emma said, "so those must be your little followers…" She fixed her gaze on the shorter, dark haired man. He glared at her, clenching his weapon.

Mira ignored her comment. "_Who are you?_"

Emma opened her mouth to speak but was quickly cut off. "She's my sister," Lucas snapped. The Sixers glanced back and forth between the siblings in search of a resemblance.

"Emma Taylor, right?" Mira said, stepping closer. "The Commander's long lost estranged daughter… so little Skye really wasn't lying…"

"S-Skye?" her voice shook. Did she mean _Skye _was spying for the Sixers? But before Mira could respond, a large line of Terra Nova rovers drove past them. Emma's eyes widened when she was able to make out Jim Shannon sitting in one of them.

Lucas saw her, leaping forward to try to grab her. But Emma lunged forward faster, determined to get away from the Sixers and back as soon as possible, even if it meant leaving her brother. She ran forward, waving her arms around wildly, trying to catch someone's attention before they were gone. The smaller, dark-haired man chased after her, jumping at her legs, tripping her.

Emma fell to the ground, a loud scream escaping her lips just before she slammed against the ground. She picked herself up enough to scream again, kicking at the man.

"Carter! Let her go!" she heard her brother yell angrily. Mira and the other Sixer had hid, trying to avoid being caught. She hadn't realized how far away she'd been able to sprint until she heard how far away Lucas's voice was.

The man, Carter, was quickly leaning over the girl, his hand over her mouth. Emma lashed out violently, frustrated tears spilling out of her eyes, her body growing tired from fighting the much stronger person. In a final attempt, she slammed her elbow into his stomach. Carter recoiled in pain as Emma wiggled out of his grip and jumped to her feet again.

"Mr. Shannon!" she shrieked, listening to Carter closing in on her again, probably Lucas as well. "_Mr. Shannon!_" And the rovers stopped. Relief swelled through her body as she slowed down, knowing she was rescued…well _found._ She didn't think being with her brother, despite the things he was doing or had done, was something she needed to be "rescued" from. Carter however, was a different story.

The determined Sixer rushed up behind her again, wrapping his arm around her neck, pulling her backwards. She cried out in pain as she lost her footing, her entire body weight behind help up by his grip around her throat.

"_Carter!_" Lucas snapped. He was hiding low behind a tree, hoping the soldiers would be too focused on getting Emma to know he was there, and that she wouldn't say anything. "Let. Her. Go. _Now_. Get over here. Unless you _want_ to be locked up in the brig again. I don't think there will be any rescue mission this time, though."

He nodded reluctantly, pulled Emma closer to him for a second. She squeezed her eyes shut, her fingernails digging into his arm, still trying to pull it away. His hot breath was rolled over her cheek, making her cringe in disgust. "Don't even _think _about telling your father about Skye. _Do you understand?_" he whispered. Emma nodded stiffly, struggling to breathe. "Good." Carter released her, quickly sprinting away, Lucas following him back into the forest. She collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as she gingerly touched the forming bruise from Carter's hold around her neck.

She watched as Jim finally reached her, gun drawn and pointed in the direction Carter and Lucas had gone. "Are you okay, Emma?" he asked, putting his gun down, kneeling down in front of her. Emma nodded, still holding her neck lightly, her head was beginning to throb. A few soldiers, including Mark Reynolds and Lt. Washington, searched the nearby area for any signs of remaining Sixers.

As Jim helped her to her feet, Wash walked over. "They're gone. It's all clear…" she looked at Emma, who's face was partially covered in dirt from her most recent collision with the ground, and a few scratches from her Slasher meeting the night before. "Is she alright?"

Jim nodded. "I think so…but we better get her back…she might need to go to the clinic and have her neck checked out." He began to lead Emma forward, but she stumbled, her legs felt like Jell-O, her migraine quickly forming. "I…I fell…th-the Sixer grabbed me…I think I hit my head…it really hurts…" she mumbled, her eyes beginning to flutter closed.

Jim worriedly glanced at Wash. "Maybe her head too…she might have a concussion…" He swooped up the nearly unconscious girl into his arms as they headed for the rovers.

Not to far off, Lucas watched, his eyes flashing when he saw Emma practically faint. He turned to Carter who was pacing behind him.

"_What the hell was that?_" he snapped, moving closer the Sixer.

"She knows about Skye…I was -" Before he had a chance to finish, Lucas grabbed him by the front of his shirt, slamming him into the tree behind him.

"_You almost strangled her. She just passed out, probably from when you made her fall and hit her head_," Lucas growled. "If she is hurt….I swear to God…."

"I-I didn't mean to, I swear. I just wanted to s-scare her…so she wouldn't tell your father about Skye!" Carter held his hands up. He knew Lucas was crazy, something had always been _off _about him… he wouldn't hesitate to hurt him. Lucas was one of the few people whom the Sixer was actually afraid of.

"You better hope she's okay…." the angry brother said again. "For _your_ sake."

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><p>* = i think the guitar pick necklace had to do w kara, but since she'ssss not here...lol

i probably wont be able to post this weekend cuz the computer in our new house isn't set up yet :(

sorry this was kinda short, tell me what u thought(:


	13. Debriefed

thankyou for all the reviews :DDD im posting tonight cuz i dont think i'll be able to post tomorrow.

**ciaranoelle:** phenomenal? AWH thankyou! :DD xx

you should all check out **NumberSixteen**'s Lucas/Skye fic, **Cut Off Without Ammends **and **Miss Junie**'s fic, **Betrayal Isn't Fleeting**

lol i love all of your nice reviews (((:

hope u like the chapterrr

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><p>Emma's eyes slowly fluttered open, squeezed shut when the bright lights invaded the darkness of her diminishing sleep, then fluttered open again. She gazed up at the ceiling, then to her right. She could barely make out the blurry doctors and nurses walking past, they're figures fuzzy. She blinked a few times, hoping to clear the images, but it didn't help. Everything was still a hazy blur…her surroundings, her memory.<p>

Her eyebrows cinched together as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. Her body ached, protesting against the movement. The headache that had appeared to have faded came rushing back, causing Emma to collapse back onto the green bed, almost eliciting a small cry. She gingerly massaged her temples until the pain subsided once again. She poked her ribcage, gasped at the amount of pain it brought her. She lifted her shirt enough to see the large bruises. After readjusting her dirty shirt, she glanced to her left to see her father sitting on a chair beside her, fast asleep. His face was softened, peaceful. She wondered how long he'd been there, how long she'd been out. The last thing she remembered was Jim Shannon carrying her to the rover, and then vaguely, sitting between him and that Reynolds guy, as Jim tried to keep her awake by talking about Josh as she had felt herself slowly go limp.

She sighed, looking around at the long, flowing curtains that surrounded her small "room.," then back at Commander Taylor.

"Dad?" she whispered, her voice sounded hoarse. She cleared her throat, trying again. "_Dad_."

Taylor shifted in his seat, his bright blue eyes opening to meet hers. His face was still soft and kind as he slowly awoke. Emma forced a small smile, preparing for him to be angry with her, tell her how stupid going outside the gates was. But he didn't.

"Hey," he said quietly, "How are you feeling?"

"Better…w-why am I in the clinic?" she mumbled, watching a couple doctors pass by.

The Commander leaned forward, his eyes looked worried. "You had a concussion, Jim Shannon said you went unconscious soon after they found you. The doctor, Dr. Shannon, wanted to keep you here until she was sure you were okay…"

Emma nodded, her eyes fixated on the ceiling again. She swallowed thickly, frustration welling up inside of her as she thought back to Lucas. When she had been with him, she couldn't help but compare it to PMSing. One second they were fine, talking as if nothing had ever happened, then the next second she wanted to kick him for being such an ass. Finding out he was working with the Sixers… or that the Sixers working for him, had definitely pissed her off. And _then_, he just ran away….left her there… she understood why, but it still hurt.

"Oh, you're awake!" a voice said.

Emma and her father looked over to the smiling Dr. Shannon as she walked in.

"Yup…"

"Well, how are you feeling Emma? Do you want some water or anything?"

Emma shook her head. "No, I'm fine…um how much longer do I need to be here?"

Elisabeth walked to the side of the bed across from the Commander. "Not too much longer. Can I take a look at your neck?" Emma nodded.

The doctor lightly touched the bruising from Carter's choke hold. It was a mix of faded purple and blue mostly under her chin. Emma winced, forcing another smile to let the doctor know she was okay. Taylor frowned, his brow furrowing. His jaw tightened, teeth gritted together as he glared at the bruising on her neck and the smaller one on her cheek.

"You have quite a few bruises, Emma…would you mind telling me where they came from?" Elisabeth asked, cautiously glancing up at Taylor.

"Um -"

"Hey, how's she doing?" Jim asked, walking in. "Oh…sorry…didn't mean to interrupt, glad to see you're awake, Emma. You had us worried yesterday!"

"It's alright, Shannon. We were all just talking…" Taylor said, his steel façade coming back, his gravely voice strained.

"You know, I think we should talk about this later…Emma probably needs some more time to rest," Elisabeth suggested, motioning everyone out.

Taylor nodded. "We will need to talk though," he said to Elisabeth and Jim, his voice to low for Emma to hear him clearly. "We will have to do a debriefing…especially since she was out there with Lucas…we need to know what happened."

"We'll see how she feels in a few hours, okay? But for now, she needs to be able to _relax_."

"Emma, are you going to be alright on your own for a while?" Taylor asked, still fairly concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry," she said, a reassuring smile tugged at her lips.

"I'll check up on you in a little while," Elisabeth smiled back, then followed the men out.

Emma covered her face with her hands, her loud sigh muffled. The past two days had seemed so surreal in her mind now, she struggled to figure out if she really had seen her brother or if she had just imagined the whole thing. But as she let herself remember, accept what had happened, she began to wonder what Lucas was doing.

**Lucas:**

Lucas sat in his room, staring at his calculations through dark, frustrated eyes. After he had calmed down, left Carter alone, he had headed back to the Sixer camp, determined to distract himself.

He'd been sitting on the edge of the small, makeshift bed for nearly 24 hours. His eyes had dark, almost black circle underneath them. Lucas had _tried _to work on the calculations, but found his mind to be blank, as if his brain was failing him. He could think of nothing but his little, broken family.

Lucas rubbed his brow, trying to calm himself and focus on his mission. But every time he started, Emma's angry face flowed into his mind, making it impossible to think straight. He stood quickly to go examine more of his work that covered his walls. He bumped the small table in front of him, knocking over a cup of water onto a pile of papers. It seeped through, blurring the equations and diagrams until they were illegible.

"_No!_ DAMN IT!" he shouted, kneeling down, attempting to save his work. But it was no use, the papers were destroyed. He cursed loudly, kicking the table, sent it flying into a railing. He grasped two handfuls of his hair in frustration.

A young Sixer peered in, looking both concerned and terrified. "What happened?" he asked stupidly.

"_GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE._" Lucas's eyes were threatening. The poor kid quickly disappeared, lucky that Lucas hadn't hit him or worse.

He sat on the ground, leaning back against the bed, his breathing ragged as he tried to calm down. He pushed his sandy hair back, though it didn't really move. He closed his eyes, let his mind wander back to Emma. He had started all of this for her and their mother. It had been his way of avenging what had happened to them, what his father had _let_ happen to them. But now Emma was here, and she didn't hate their father, she didn't want Lucas to hate their father, and suddenly Lucas was finding that all of his reasoning and choices collapsing right in front of him. For the first time in his life, he was questioning himself.

**Emma:**

Emma slipped into the clean clothes Dr. Shannon had brought her from her house. Her own clothes lay in a small pile on the end of the bed, covered in dirt from her jungle "adventure". Emma's hands shook as she pulled on her shoes. She squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to control her increasing heart rate.

"Are you alright, Emma?" Elisabeth asked, walking in with a concerned expression.

"Y-yeah…why wouldn't I be?" Emma had never faked so many smiles in her life. She was pretty sure she'd set her own personal record.

"Okay, well let's have one last look at those bruises before you go."

Emma reluctantly pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the bed. She craned her neck, looking up at the ceiling as Dr. Shannon shone a bright blue light over it. She repeated it with bruise on her cheek next. Emma then lifted her shirt, just enough to expose her ribcage. Elisabeth frowned as she stared at the large bruises on the girl's torso. Suspicion whirred behind her eyes.

"Emma…how did you get these?"

"I guess you could say they were…'self inflicted'…sort of…" Emma tried to joke. Elisabeth arched her eyebrows, confused. "I _fell_…I'm clumsy…" she lied. She didn't really feel like going into depth on how or why she "fell".

The doctor nodded, unconvinced, but quickly scanned the remaining bruises. "Okay…well I believe you're good to go. Make sure to come back if you don't feel well though, okay?"

"Okay, I will. Thanks…um…does…Josh know?" Emma said as she slid off the bed.

Elisabeth looked at her again, nodding. "Yes, he was a mess yesterday. He was really worried about you, Emma." Her tone was almost…disappointed. Emma frowned, guilt welling up inside of her. She hadn't wanted Josh to be worried about her…which is partially the reason she hadn't said anything. "I think Jim is waiting for you at the door…that way…" Elisabeth pointed towards the door.

Emma nodded and headed out. Jim stood just outside the clinic, waiting for her.

"Hey Emma, how are you doing?" he asked. Emma hated the sympathetic look on his face. She didn't want anyone's pity…

"Good…just tired I guess." Emma crossed her arms as they began to walk. She could feel eyes from every angle, boring into her. She wished desperately that she could somehow hid her bruises and exhausted face.

Jim eyed the guitar pick necklace around her neck, realizing for the first time Josh hadn't been wearing it recently. He was tempted to ask her about the relationship, considering the last time he tried she had went unconscious from the concussion. But he stopped himself, remembering she was about to bombarded with enough questions from her father.

Emma paused at the bottom of the steps, flashing back to the first time she had been there. Her nervous eyes flickered up to Jim, one eyebrow slightly arched.

"Is he really mad?" she head herself ask, her fingers played with the necklace.

Jim shook his head. "He's more relieved than anything, I think. Don't worry, it's just a standard debriefing. He's not going to throw you in the brig or anything," he joked, placing a hand on her back and leading her up the stairway and into the office.

Emma felt her breath hitch in her throat when she eyed Lt. Washington and the Commander, both watching her with serious expressions. Jim motioned for her to sit in the empty seat across from her father. Emma sat, staring down at the ground, tracing the lines on the floor with her eyes just as she had the last time she'd been there…finding out about Lucas.

"Emma…" Taylor began. Emma slowly allowed herself to look up at him, her heart was racing. "What happened?"

Wash stood slightly behind the Commander, arms crossed, staring at Emma. Jim stood behind Emma's chair, which for some reason calmed her, as if he was standing over her to protect her.

"Why did you go out there?"

Emma licked her lips, her mouth felt paper dry. "I-I…I think you already know why…" she managed to say, "_Snakehead Falls_." Taylor arched his eyebrows, as did Wash.

"So you do know…" Taylor passed a hand over his face, "What happened when you go out there?"

Emma fidgeted in her seat, staring down at her hands. "I uh…I looked around a bit… but then…" her voice trailed off as she struggled to continue. She wasn't really sure why, but she felt like she just wanted to cry. She held her breath until the feeling passed. "…but then L-Lucas showed up."

Taylor and Jim exchanged glances. They had been right. None of the soldiers had actually seen Lucas's face, just Carter and then Carter running off with another guy. Only a few of them knew what Lucas looked like, which is why they assumed the other man had been him.

"I didn't recognize him at first…he didn't recognize me either…but it didn't um…take long for us to figure it out," she shrugged.

"And after that?…We…Jim and I went to the falls. You weren't there," Taylor said, his elbows were propped up on the arms of the chair, his hands clasped together.

"We…left….we were just talking about different stuff…" Emma's legs crossed underneath the chair.

Taylor waited, he wanted to know _everything_ that had happened out there with his children. He couldn't help but be worried of what Lucas had said to her, if he had tried to get her on "his side".

"About the past 11 years… he mostly uh, just asked a-about _me_," her eyes flitted up to her father. "But we got in an argument…and I walked off… I was trying to get back here but it was getting dark and I got lost…I honestly don't even know if I was going in the right direction. But I guess Lucas followed me or something…and I'm _really _lucky that he did," Emma's hands rolled up into fists as she remembered the attack. She had never been so scared in her life.

"_Why?_"

"Because….I would've _died_ if he hadn't," she swallowed thickly before continuing, "I had um…a run in with a Slasher, well that's what Lucas said it was… I-I had just been able to barely dodge it's tail, which is how I got some of the bruises, when Lucas ran in. He shot it with his sonic and it freaked out and ran off. Lucas…he made sure I was okay and then took me to some little camp he made…said it was too dark to get back to Terra Nova."

"A camp? Where is it?" she heard Jim ask. Emma wanted to kick herself for mentioning the camp…she knew Lucas needed safe places like that probably, and she wasn't about to take one away, take away a small necessity for survival.

"I-I don't know…it was getting pretty dark…but we just stayed there and talked some more, well argued…Mostly about…um…_you_," she paused, fidgeting again. Taylor shifted in his seat, his eyes looked hurt. "I-I asked him why he hated you, he asked me why I didn't." Not really wanting to elaborate, she skipped her reasons. "Then he asked me if _I _hated _him_." She bit her lip.

Taylor's eyebrows knitted together. His son hated him, he was disappointed with his son. But the thought of his children _hating_ each other, over their father, practically killed him.

"I told him no… and we didn't really talk anymore until the next day."

"So what happened then?" Jim asked, slightly beginning to take over the questioning, as Taylor hadn't really spoken in a while.

"He asked me why I went out there…and I told him… and he asked about um other random things," Emma didn't really want to tell them that she talked about boys with her crazy brother. "And then we ran into those Sixers."

"What did they do?"

"N-nothing…..they _knew_ Lucas…he knew them too…he said they _worked for him_…" Emma looked at Jim, then Taylor, then Wash. They all had the same expression of a mixture of shock, disbelief, but also as if they had already guessed it.

"They knew who I was… sort of… Lucas said that I was his sister, and they knew my name, they said Sk- _the spy_ told them…" she corrected herself quickly.

Jim and Taylor exchanged worried looks. "Did they tell you who that was?"

_The spy. _Emma's face grew pale as she remembered what Carter had said in the midst of choking her. _Skye told them. Skye is the spy. Skye is the traitor. _she thought, but refused to let the words leave her mouth. Instead she simply shook her head. "Of course not…"

"Hm… so what happened next?" Jim had circled around to stand beside Taylor so he could see her face as well.

"W-well…you guys showed up… I saw the rovers and I just started running. But one of them…Carter? He tackled me, that's when I fell and hit my head, and got this too," she pointed to the bruise on her right cheek bone, "I got away almost, but he grabbed me again," she lightly touched her neck bruise, "But I heard Lucas telling him to let me go…and when he saw you guys coming he did… and then they just…ran away…" Emma let herself take a deep breath.

Jim's eyes were nothing if not suspicious. He could sense holes in her story, but her father was only concerned with the fact that she was okay now.

"And that's it?" Jim asked, crossing his arms.

Emma nodded. "That's it."

"Lucas never spoke to you about the calculations?"

"No… he tried to avoid that as much as possible I think."

Jim opened his mouth to ask another question but was cut off.

"Skye Tate…she covered for you, or tried to," Taylor said, leaning forward. Emma's face hardened when she heard her name. _Traitor._ _Liar_. She nodded.

"I can't let the fact that you went outside the gates just slide, Emma. I'm of course very happy that you're okay, but you will have a punishment. And since Skye was a sort of accomplice, she will be joining you." Taylor stood, his hands clasped in front of him.

"_What?_!" Emma gasped. She turned around to see Mark Reynolds walk Skye in. She stood by the door, brow furrowed, holding her hand behind her back.

Jim and Wash's eyebrows arched in confusion at Emma's angry comment. They couldn't tell if it was because of the punishment…or having to serve it with Skye.

"I'm sorry, Emma. You and Skye will be helping out with the construction and cleaning crews for a few weeks. I will let you know when you can stop. You start tomorrow."

Emma's body was rigid with anger. She looked back at Skye, glowering. "Fine," she mumbled, "Can I go now?"

Taylor's brow furrowed as he nodded. Emma turned on her heels, knocking into Skye with her shoulder as she passed. Skye stumbled aside, her mouth slightly agape. Her brow furrowed deeper. She stole a quick glance at the adults' confused expressions, then followed Emma out.

"What was that….?" Wash muttered, referring to Emma purposely bumping into Skye.

"I'm not sure…It's probably nothing…" Taylor said slowly, not really sure what would've caused her to act in such a way. Emma wasn't one to just be mean to someone for no reason…

Jim's brow furrowed as he struggled to put the pieces together, thinking back to when Emma had talked about who told the Sixers about her. It had sounded like she was going to say…_Skye_. Jim shook his head and the ridiculous thought. _Skye is not the mole._ he told himself.

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><p>ohh emma doesn't really like skye does she? lol<p>

revieww (:


	14. I Know

SO SO SO SORRY I HAVENT POSTED IN LIKE 3 DAYS :(((( its been the most busy week of my life! i was up till 11 at a friends house yesterday working on a spanish presentation lol, we did amazinggg btw :D

so here's ch. 14... i personally hated the last chapter lol

im kind of obsessed with **Miss Junie**'s story **Betrayl isn't Fleeting** i was reading the latest chapter on my walk home today it was soooooo cute!

read it. (:

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><p>Emma lay on Josh's bed, eyes closed lightly as she twirled the guitar pick necklace with her fingers. To her left, Josh sat on the floor against the bed, practicing his guitar. The music flowed through the quiet room, Emma's mind focused on it, soothing her body's tenseness. Lately all she had on her mind was Lucas, her father, work, and Skye's little secret. She felt as if it had been years since she had been this relaxed.<p>

When the music stopped suddenly, Emma's brow furrowed. She looked over at Josh as he placed the instrument down in front of him. He looked down at his hands, turned to her hesitantly. "Emma…are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She frowned. "What do you mean?" she turned onto her side, making it easier to see him without having to crane her neck.

"It's just, lately…you've seemed kind of…_distant_," Josh's blue eyes were sad almost. "Is…does it have to do with _us_?" He glanced back at his hands again, fidgeting.

Emma's eyebrows knitted together. She shook her head. "No, no. _We _are fine," she said reassuringly, a small smile forming on her lips. "I'm sorry…I've just been exhausted from construction duty, and I've just had _a lot_ on my mind I guess…" Her eyes flitted away from him as she finished her sentence, her mind wandering again, as it did so often these days.

Josh paused. "Your brother?"

Emma nodded sadly. "For the most part…" her eyes slowly began to water as she avoided Josh's concerned gaze. "I _hate_ what's happened to my family…we're all just…broken. And, and…" she met Josh's eyes once again, "_it's not fair_," she heard herself say, tears rolling down her cheek onto the pillow. She covered her mouth, hoping to stifle the small sob that was forming in her throat, squeezing her eyes shut.

She felt Josh slowly lay in front of her. He wrapped his arms around the small of her back, pulling her towards him. He shifted onto his back, Emma's head rested comfortably on his shoulder, tucked beneath his chin. Her right hand placed on his chest, almost over his heart. Josh tightened his grip when she shivered, curling closer to him.

For a while they lay there, just listening to the other breathe, their chest rising and falling in unison. Emma felt safe in his arms, letting herself forget about every thought that had been pulling her down. All she wanted at that moment was to be with Josh. As her tears dried, she felt herself being lulled into a welcoming sleep. Josh kissed to the top of her head, holding her close as he too slowly drifted off.

She could faintly hear the voices of what sounded like their fathers, nearby.

"Uh…should we wake them up?" Jim whispered, peering into his son's room at the sleeping couple.

"I uh…I think they'll be fine…just um, keep the door open," Taylor chuckled softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful look on his daughter's face.

Emma found herself snuggling closer to Josh as someone carefully placed a thing blanket over them, as if they were children who had merely fallen asleep on the sofa. And as the small light beside the bed was turned off, she quickly slipped back into her comfortable sleep.

"Good morning…" Josh said sleepily, hugging her closer. The sun shone bright through the windows, illuminating the small room, warming the bed they lay on.

Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. "Josh?" she mumbled. "Why are you in my bed?"

She felt his quiet, tired laugh rumble through his chest, through her. "I'm…pretty sure you're in mine…" he chuckled. Emma shot up, one hand on the shoulder she'd been using for a pillow, the other on his ribcage. She looked around, remembering where she was finally. Josh arched his eyebrows in amusement.

"Well what do you know…" she laughed, plopping back down next to him. "Well good morning…" Josh grinned, giving her a quick kiss. Emma desperately wanted to just go back to sleep. She was way to comfortable to have to get up. She found herself closing her eyes again, exhaustion and comfort overwhelming her.

"Jeez…what time is it?" she asked groggily, her eyes still closed.

"Like 10, I think…" she felt him shrug lazily.

Suddenly it hit her. "_Shit_!" she gasped, getting up. Josh sat up too, staring at her in concern and confusion. Emma pushed her dark hair away from her face, staring at the open bedroom door. "Where are our parents?…"

He glanced around, noticing the blanket over them as well as the open door. He was pretty sure when they had fallen asleep there hadn't been a blanket and the door had been closed. "Um…I think they let you stay last night or something," he said, grasping the green blanket in his hand. Emma groaned, wondering how awkward it would be when she saw her father.

"Hey, uh, don't you have construction duty at 10:30?" Josh pointed out, swinging his legs out so he sat on the edge of the bed. Emma's eyes widened.

"_Crap! _I'm gunna be late!" she glared down at her clothes that she had worn to work the previous day. "And now I don't have time to go change! Agh!" She jumped out of the bed, rushing to put her shoes on.

Josh laughed, watching as she ran around. "Do you just wanna borrow one of my shirts?" he asked, smirking.

Emma grinned as she pulled her long hair up into a loose ponytail. "I already stole one of your sweatshirts, are you sure you want me to take one of your shirts too?" She laughed, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist as she looked up at him. He smiled back shrugging, leaned down to kiss her. She leaned back, teasing him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Letting go, she stepped back as he handed her a simple, grey, long-sleeved shirt.

"_Turn around_," she ordered, twirling her finger. She waited until he had to take off her own and pull on his shirt. She tucked the long ends into her shorts, rolled up the sleeves to her elbows. "Well, what do ya think?" she joked, turning in a circle and striking a quick pose.

Josh nodded approvingly, "You should wear my clothes more often." He loved seeing how cute she looked in his clothes, probably as much as loved wearing them.

Emma sighed reluctantly. "Well I'd better go…" Josh pulled her close, kissing her gently. She stood on her tip does to reach him better, wrapping her arms around his neck momentarily. Emma smiled at him, unable to control how happy she felt when she was with him. "I'll see you later," she whispered, letting go finally.

He held her hand, walking her to the door slowly. As she walked out, she gave him a quick wave then began her little jog to where the new housing units were being set up. As he watched her go, he eyed an older red-headed girl, standing suspiciously beside a housing unit…she seemed to be _watching_ Emma. He felt his brow furrow in suspicion, then shaking his head, told himself he was just paranoid.

Avery stood beside the housing unit quietly. She watched as Emma grew closer and closer, her face was bright and happy. She rolled her eyes, glowering at the girl. She had been brought to Terra Nova to help spy for the Sixers, help get intel for them and their other spy…or currier as Avery referred to her as. And _now_ she was being made the Taylor girl's babysitter by Mira. She had no idea why _Mira_ of all people would want to protect the Commander's daughter instead of using her. But Avery didn't really care. She wanted to be able to do what she was meant to do here, not watch over some child.

She took a deep breath as Emma walked closer in her direction, still completely oblivious to Avery. She sauntered forward towards Emma, faking a small smile. "Hey, Emma!"

Emma turned, finally noticing the fiery red-head walking towards her. "Hey, Avery…haven't seen you in a while," she smiled back happily.

"Yeah, so where are you headed?" Avery asked innocently.

Emma groaned as she brushed some of her loose hair out of her face. "Construction duty…"

"Really? So am I! I volunteered a couple of days ago, thought it'd be fun," Avery said with a bright grin, though inside she was screaming. The last thing she wanted to do on her days off would be helping build a bunch of stupid houses.

"Oh! Well that's much better for me, not having to only working with _Skye_…" she muttered. Avery arched her eyebrows at the mention of the other spy's name, wondering what Emma suddenly had against her.

"What happened?" she asked, sounding concerned. She noted how Emma fidgeted, bit her lip, as if she wanted to say but was trying not to.

"I can't say…"

Avery looked at her skeptically, arching one eyebrow.

Emma sighed, crossing her arms. "I just learned something about her…and it's…upsetting, I guess. I really can't say though..sorry," she said, avoiding the older girl's curious face.

Avery shrugged, deciding to switch the subject. There was nothing about Skye that she didn't already know, as far as she knew anyways. She thought it best to try to find out something worthwhile, put her new job to use. "So how are things with you and your ….dad?"

Emma scoffed, immediately thinking back to what he would say when she saw him next. "Oh…good I guess…"

Avery frowned. "Emma, you can talk to me you know…I'm your _friend_," she said sweetly, frustrated how the girl seemed to be avoiding going into detail on anything.

Emma smiled up at Avery. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really have any girl friends besides Tasha who she only spent time with occasionally. She had wanted to be friends with Skye, but Skye had constantly shut her out, and now Emma had no interest in being her friend. To be honest, she spent most of her time with Josh. She liked the idea of having someone, another girl, to confide in.

"Well…things were good I guess…but after I went OTG and all… things have been more tense…" she paused, looking down at her hands. Avery had heard about the whole thing. Emma going outside the gates, disappearing, apparently being attacked by a Sixer, then being rescued by the cop.

"What happened out there?"

Emma fidgeted. "I…saw, well I ran into my brother, him and our father don't exactly get along apparently," she laughed softly, her eyes sad. "And I guess my dad wants to set up like surveillance now over by the fa-…where my brother seems to be a lot."

Avery's eyes widened minutely. She knew all about Lucas Taylor's calculations on the rocks at Snakehead Falls. She'd never met _Doctor _Taylor, but she knew enough to know this was something she should tell Mira about. The last thing the Sixers needed was to loose their little genius. They would have no purpose without him.

As the two approached the area under construction, they were quickly put into separate groups, Emma being placed into one with other younger teenagers…including Skye. Emma scowled as she followed the spy to the little area they were to work at. She couldn't _believe_ she had to work with her. The past 3 weeks had been the same every other day at work, Emma would give her the death stare, Skye would pretend to not notice and they would work in a tense silence that threatened to strangle the young traitor.

Skye could not figure out for the life of her why Emma had been giving her the cold shoulder. Was it that her father had found out she'd gone missing? That hadn't been her fault, the Commander already knew when he came looking for her! She rubbed her brow in frustration. _Besides_, she thought, _if Taylor hadn't noticed she was gone, she could be a Sixer hostage or worse._ But Emma continued to glare at her every time she saw her, going out of her way to irritate Skye. Emma would seem perfectly happy when she got to work, then quickly become angry and silent. And it seemed everyone in the world was oblivious to Emma's treatment of her, except Skye of course.

Emma grabbed a piece of wood, shoving past Skye to get to the half-built housing unit. Skye winced, small pain shooting through her shoulder. Then suddenly the pain came again, as Emma knocked into the same shoulder as she walked back. She kneeled down on the ground to pick up more tools. Skye's eyes flashed angrily. She was _sick _of this.

"What the hell is your problem?" she snapped, rubbing her shoulder. Emma's head snapped up, her eyes seemed darker than usual, it reminded her of how Lucas looked whenever he was angry. She stood slowly, brow furrowed deeply. Both girls stood there, facing one another, fighting to stay as composed as possible.

"_What?_" Emma said, crossing her arms. She couldn't help but enjoy Skye's frustrated expression.

"_This!_" she motioned towards her hurting shoulder. Emma simply glared at her, refusing to break eye contact, Skye did the same. "If you have a problem with me, _say it_."

The Commander's daughter rolled her eyes, arched her eyebrows. "Really? Here? Aren't you worried someone will hear?" she questioned sarcastically.

Skye cocked her head to the side, confusion, with a hint of fear, whirring behind her bright eyes. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was surprisingly calm.

"Do _not_ play stupid with me!" Emma scoffed, "_I know_, okay?" She took a step closer, causing Skye to back up on instinct.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Skye's mind was racing, her heart thudding in her chest. She had to be talking about….no….she _couldn't possibly _know! There was no way in hell she could've found out…

"Ha! Really? Skye, _Skye_, the little Sixer _spy_," Emma spat, taking another step closer.

Skye felt her jaw drop, her eyes widen, her heart pounding so hard she'd thought she'd faint. She stared at the girl incredulously. Emma crossed her arms again triumphantly. "D-does Commander Taylor know?" she whispered, her voice shaking. Emma shook her head.

"No…I haven't told him…I haven't decided if I will yet," she paused, her eyes softening momentarily, "Why…?"

Skye cast her eyes downward, her eyes beginning to water. "I have my reasons."

"What reasons? When your parents died, my father took you in, he helped you, and…and you repay him by what? Helping the Sixers to destroy him and Terra Nova? Our home? How could you_ possibly _justify that?"

Skye glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby. "I'm not helping them that much! The intel I give them is usually complete crap! I don't have a choice though…."

"_Everyone has a choice_." Emma shook her head, turning to walk away.

"I did it for…my mother…"

Emma whipped around. "What?"

"She's…alive…the Sixers have her…they…they're helping cure her, if I spy for them…"

Emma's face softened as she thought back to her own mother. But she still wanted nothing to do with Skye. She turned to leave again.

"Wait…_how_ the hell did you know…?" she asked quietly, not understanding how she had come to find this information.

"Does it really matter _how_ I found out? No. What matters is that it's _true_," Emma's eyes bore into Skye, her fist clenched so tightly, her knuckles were turning white, her fingernails stabbing into her own flesh. "What matters is that you are a _traitor_."

And suddenly Emma felt Skye's fist connect with her cheek, right where her faded bruise was. She staggered back, a loud gasp escaping her lips. She cupped her cheek in her hand, staring at Skye in disbelief. Emma quickly ran at her, tackling her to the ground. Skye felt the breath get knocked out of her as they crashed into the ground.

The two were hitting, kicking, scratching, screaming at each other as they rolled on the dirt. They could barely hear people running up, yelling at them to stop, then attempting to pry the viciously angry girls apart. They felt themselves yanked up off the ground away from each other. They continued to kick and shriek, trying desperately to reach the other again.

Emma thrashed around as Wash held her arms back, making her wince every time she pulled to much. The Lieutenant was practically picking the small girl up as she kicked wildly trying to get free. Her eyes were ablaze. She could see Avery and a young soldier holding Skye back who was doing the same as her.

"_Let me go_!" she cried out, almost breaking free from Wash's grasp.

"Stop it. Both of you!" Wash yelled, then turned to another soldier that stood by anxiously. "Go call Shannon, Private, the Commander is still out…"

The soldier quickly ran to the nearest rover, radioing the sheriff. Emma slowly calmed down, breathing heavily. She could feel Wash's grip on her loosen as she stopped fighting.

Skye too was quickly growing exhausted, tears still blurring her vision. _A traitor_. That's what she was now. That's all she was, all she'd ever be. The thought angered her. She'd never _wanted _this…. She'd just been a frightened 13 year old who wanted her mom to get better, and the only way to make it happen was help the Sixers. And now someone knew her dark secret, and the person who knew, could very easily destroy her. The thought was unbearable.

When Jim finally got out to there, Emma was sitting in the back of a rover, arms crossed, dark eyes staring at her lap. Skye was sitting far away against one of the new housing units. Each had a soldier standing by them.

"_What happened_?" Jim asked, eyeing the mildly beat up girls that were mostly just covered in dirt.

"I'm not sure, they just started fighting all of a sudden. Neither of them will talk to us," Wash reported, flanking the cop's side. She called each soldier to bring the girl's over into one of the finished houses with them.

The girls sauntered in, staring straight ahead. Skye tripped, accidentally bumping into Emma who quickly shoved her aside. "Get away from me!" she snapped, about to move to push her again. Jim quickly pulled her back, motioning her to stand by one end of the wall, while Skye went to the other. They leaned against the wall silently.

"Okay, what happened just now?" he asked, his eyes going back and forth between both girls. Neither answered, frustrating him. "_Why were you fighting_? I thought you two were friends."

"We are _not _friends."

Jim looked _over_ at Emma, who had another bruise forming on her cheek. "Why? What happened that started the fight?"

Skye glanced over at Emma nervously, wondering if she would say something or not. The girl simply held her arms closer to her, glowering at the floor. She took in a deep, jagged breath, her heart racing. "I-I h-have to s-say something…" she whispered, not daring to meet Jim and Wash's curious faces.

Emma's head snapped up, eyes wide. Was Skye going to tell them? If she was telling the truth…about her mom…then blowing her cover would only put her mother in danger probably. She didn't know why, but she didn't hate her enough to let her lose her mom. As Skye opened her mouth to speak but Emma quickly cut her off. "We were fighting over Josh," she blurted.

Jim arched his eyebrows in suspicion. "_Josh_?"

She nodded slowly, ignoring Skye's confused yet grateful expression. "She…Skye is… _jealous_… and somehow we got into a stupid argument about it." She could see Skye's jaw drop slightly at the jealous part. _Better than telling them you're a spy_, Emma thought in annoyance.

"Is this true?" Jim turned to Skye. These two girls had gotten in a _fight_ over his son…

Skye nodded hurriedly.

"I am _so _sorry, Mr. Shannon. It was stupid. It won't happen again, I promise." Jim glanced back at Emma and nodded too.

"Okay…well I won't tell your father, Emma, as long as you keep that promise."

"Of course."

"Okay, you two are excused…and I expect you'd like me to not tell Josh about this either?" he smiled. Emma forced a laugh, "Yeah…"

Emma stepped outside, brushing the dirt off of herself, followed by Skye who's face was expressionless. She stared at Emma gratefully.

"_Thank you so much_," she said.

"Just…leave me alone…" Emma muttered, walking away. Skye was left there, another frustrated tear rolling down her dirty cheek. In the distance, a girl with fiery red hair walked away, her mind filled with new information as she quickly headed for a small opening in the gates.

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><p>hope you liked it :DDD i love to hear your thoughttsss<p> 


	15. Who

so so sorry for the late updates. i spent the weekend writing some chapters in advance so this wont happen so much lol last week was crazy tho! sadly my updates will have to be an every other day thing now tho, instead of every day like i originally planned

i didn't have much time to go over and edit this chapter so i hope it's ok ha :)

**Chaotic-Theoretic: **idk if it's really hatred..more like her father helped her out when she was in trouble, and now skye's basically stabbing him in the back :(

make sure to check out **Betrayal isn't Fleeting **by **Miss Junie **and **Things Lost in the Fire** by **vaarna**

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><p>Emma grimaced as she carefully held the ice pack against her cheek. It was red around the small bruise, slightly swelled up. She stared into the mirror, removing the ice to glower at Skye's handy work.<p>

She wasn't sure what to make of Skye's reason for being a Sixer spy. It was a good reason…it made sense, she understood, but was it even true? Skye had sounded serious, desperate almost. _But she's a spy, _Emma thought, _she knows how to lie._ there was just no way to be sure at this point. She shook her head, trying to get the conflicted thoughts out of her brain, which was on the brink of an overload.

"Emma? Are you home?" she heard her father call from the front door.

_Hm, how do I explain _this _bruise?_ she thought bitterly. "Yeah, I'm right here," she said, walking out of the open bathroom. She winced as she pressed the ice pack back onto her face.

Taylor's brow furrowed when he saw her, quickly marching over to examine her face. "What happened?" he questioned.

He obviously hadn't heard about her conflict with Skye. "I….got hurt at work…you know how construction work can be," she said with a small grin, telling herself it was okay and not really a lie, since she _did_ get hurt at work…just not from construction.

Taylor's eyes softened minutely, relieved someone else hadn't done it to her. He glanced at her neck where the past bruising had been, remembering how angry he had been when he saw what the Sixer had done.

"I'm fine! _Really_," she smiled convincingly, " It's just a little bump. No big deal." she did her best to conceal the purple-blue bruise under the ice pack.

Her father went and placed his things in the study, then standing in the doorway looking at her. "Maybe you…and Skye… should be done with construction duty," he sighed, eyeing her cheek once more.

Emma arched her eyebrows at how the small injury had suddenly made him say such a thing. "Really? We've only been doing it for a few weeks…" she muttered.

"That's probably long enough," he decided.

She nodded, not willing to push it any further. If she could get out of construction duty, she was going to take that chance. Emma sat at the table, watching as her father started on dinner. She hated how rarely they'd been speaking. They talked the most usually whenever he took her shooting or during her "self defense" lessons he'd been making her take fro Wash ever since her OTG incident. Even then though, it was usually just advice on how to continuously hit the target in the same spot, or how to break out of an attacker's choke hole even if they were three times bigger than her.

But it wasn't as if she had been trying very hard to talk to him either. Every time she opened her mouth she was terrified she might tell him Skye's secret. She wasn't sure why she cared so much about not saying anything, but she almost pitied Skye, didn't want to be the one to tear her down. But it was eating away at her, threatening to make her explode. And as much as she would've loved to just get it off of her shoulders, she also couldn't decide if it was really her secret to tell. Maybe it was something Skye would eventually have to fess up on her own.

Taylor placed a plate in front of her, breaking into he deep thoughts. He sat down with his own plate, beside her. As the two ate in silence, Emma felt a question tug at the back of her mind, one she'd been meaning to ask for some time. She opened her mouth several times to voice it, but would instantly decide against it.

When she finally built up enough confidence to ask, she heard her father speak first. "So, how are things with um, Josh?" he asked hesitantly, looking at Emma, who stared at her food, momentarily.

Emma swallowed thickly, almost choking on her food. She'd really been hoping he'd just forgotten about her sleeping over at Josh's house. She thought about it again, feeling foolish for hoping that might happen. What kind of father would have just ignored something like that?

"Uh…good," she mumbled, continuing to stare at the food that covered her plate.

"Seems like a good kid," he said, wish he had never brought it up as he noted her uncomfortable expression. He'd never been good when it came to connecting with Lucas, he'd always just given him a mildly amused/irritated look then walked away. Both of his children had never been the type to open up to others very easily.

Emma nodded in return, carefully moving her dinner around on her plate with her fork. She felt way too distracted to eat now. _Please don't mention last night, _her mind pleaded. She could see him nod out of the corner of her eye, as if he had heard her thought and agreed.

Taylor continued to eat, taking a while to notice Emma's distant eyes and thoughtful face. He had seen her like this quite a few times the past few weeks, but never knew if he should interrupt it. He was beginning to worry though. She was barely speaking to him, and at times, appeared to be avoiding him even. They had been getting along well before. All of this after coming back from being with Lucas, made him wonder more about what they had spoken about out there. Had Lucas…made her hate him too?

"I'm really tired," she lied, slowly getting to her feet, "I'm uh, gunna go to bed…" After he nodded his head, she simply walked into her room, put on her pajamas and lied down, wishing she could be in Josh's comforting embrace once again.

Taylor leaned back in his chair, passing a hand over his face. He desperately wished Ayani was there. She would've smiled at him, her hazel eyes that she shared with their daughter would've been shining. She would've told him not to worry, that all girls were like that with their fathers at some point, and that Lucas would come around eventually. She would've told him that everything was going to be okay, if it wasn't.

His eyebrows knitted together, pain creeping into his blue eyes as he remembered the last time they had all been together. Then how they had been ripped apart in a second. Emma's screams, his wife's dead body, Lucas's horrified face, his own helplessness.

He pushed the painful memories away, quickly pulling forward better ones. He remembered how when Emma was born, 9-year-old Lucas had been incredibly jealous of the newcomer. But it hadn't taken long for her to grow on him as well as everyone else. He had been very protective of her, and she had been in awe of him. He recalled how when Lucas was doing homework, she would struggle to climb on a chair to look over his work quietly. She had followed him around constantly, and it had always surprised their father how he had never gotten annoyed at her for it. Emma had always looked up to her brother more than anyone, even at such a young age, and he wouldn't have put it past him to think that Lucas might try to use that to his advantage.

He stood, walking over to Emma's open doorway. Peering in, he could see her laying there, wide awake. Her eyes were trained on the ceiling, arms behind her head. She didn't seem to notice him at all.

"Emma?" he spoke up, his deep voice startling her.

"Oh, hey," she replied, looking over to him but didn't seem to be quite there.

"I just -" he began, but Emma, who was gazing up at the ceiling again, cut him off.

"Do you think Lucas will ever come back?" her voice was barely above a whisper.

Taylor frowned, not really sure on how to answer that. When he had first banished his son, he had hoped to never see him again. He had been so ashamed of his own child's betrayal. But these days, he wished he could figure out a way to fix things between all of them. Especially when he saw how much Emma wanted, _needed_, a real family. "It's possible…" he replied, walking in and sitting at the edge of her bed.

Emma's brow furrowed, she looked up at her father. "Is it?"

He sighed, nodding. "I haven't given up on him, Emma. You shouldn't either, okay?" he told her.

"Okay," she agreed, but she wasn't entirely sure what she thought. Lucas was at times her big brother, then he was someone else who's only focus was on killing his father, destroy Terra Nova. Even if it meant leaving his sister an orphan and homeless. But maybe, just maybe, just maybe…she could change that, get him to realize that he was wrong. It was a long shot, but she didn't having anything to lose from it, only something to gain.

"Is that what's been bothering you?"

_Well, there's also the fact that Skye is the Sixer mole_. She shrugged. "What are you going to do? If your surveillance team catches him at Snakehead Falls?"

"I'm…not sure." In truth, he hadn't thought much about it. If Lucas was still intent on destroying Terra Nova, then there wasn't much he could do besides lock him up in the brig. He wouldn't be able to just let him go…he'd run back to the Sixers and continue on his calculations.

"You're not going to…hurt him, are you?" A shred of fear crept into her quiet voice.

Taylor shook his head. "We shouldn't have to." Emma frowned at his answer. She wanted something straight-forward, but that wasn't something he could give her.

"You don't need to worry, okay?" he said quietly, standing back up. Emma didn't nod, shake her head, or move at all. She really didn't like that he hadn't given her a straight answer and now was going to just end the conversation. It wasn't exactly reassuring. She watched as he headed for the door, turning momentarily to give her a quick, "Good night."

"Night…" she muttered. Frustration was boiling inside of her.

Emma swung at Wash, just barely missing as the soldier dodged it. She kicked out straight, hitting her this time in right in the stomach. Wash stumbled back, a proud smile lingered on her lips as she nodded in approval at her student. But quickly the grin faded and Emma felt Wash grab her upper arms. Emma shoved her back, trying to loosen her grip. The soldier let herself fall back onto the mats, one leg pushing Emma up, then flipping her over as she landed.

"Ah!" Emma gasped as her back slapped onto the floor. She couldn't express how grateful she was for the mats that had softened her fall.

Wash stood quickly, waiting for the girl to get up as well. Her father watched from the corner of the room, about to say something about her prolonged stay on the floor. Suddenly she jumped up slightly, swinging her leg out to trip Wash, who fell to her knees. Wash threw a punch, but Emma quickly caught her arm, shoving it away then swinging her own fist out. It struck the side of her face.

Emma jumped to her feet, looking for where the empty gun had fallen earlier in their fight. She spotted it, rushing forward to grab it. Wash caught her in a loose choke hold from behind. Emma cried out in surprised. Taylor leaned forward in his seat, almost anxiously, though he knew Wash wouldn't actually hurt her. Emma quickly remembered one of the first moves Wash had taught her, and soon enough she was on the ground and Emma stood over her with the empty gun and a proud smile on her face.

"Good job," she noted, standing up.

"Thanks…but I think you broke my back," Emma joked, rubbing her sore spine.

Wash chuckled, gave her a quick pat on the shoulder as she took the gun back. "You fought pretty hard today, actually scared me a few times," she laughed as she put the weapon away .

Emma shrugged, starting to help Wash put the mats back against the wall of the small training room. A few soldiers slowly filed in, waiting quietly by the door until the Commander, Wash, and Emma were done.

"Looks like Wash's been teaching you pretty well," Taylor said as they walked out of the building. She grinned triumphantly.

Suddenly a young soldier, Dunham, ran up looking worried. "C-Commander…" he said, clearly out of breath.

Taylor and Wash exchange confused glances. "What is it, soldier?" he asked, his tone serious.

"The…surveillance…team… th-that you sent to the, eh Snakehead Falls," he inhaled sharply, "they were attacked…Sixers."

Taylor's eyes widened in anger. "_Damn it!_ What happened? How are the soldiers?"

"Four wounded, not too seriously, one wounded _really_ badly, three are completely fine, and," Dunham paused, brow furrowed as he stared down at his feet minutely, "two…two dead."

Emma's eyes widened. The Sixers, the people her brother was in charge of, had _killed_ Terra Nova citizens? She could see the anger rising in her father.

"…But sir, that's not all…." Dunham stuttered. They looked at the young soldier incredulously. "They…they were _waiting _for them. When Riley radioed in to tell us, she said that they were ambushed. The Sixers knew they would be there!"

As they started their hurried walk to the Commander's office, Emma felt her stomach drop. _They were waiting for them. _The spy…must've told them. _Skye _must've told them. Was Skye really responsible for the death of two people?

"How the _hell_ did they know?" he snapped, as he quickly headed up the stairs with the soldiers, Jim Shannon waited by the door patiently. "Emma, stay here."

She stopped halfway up the stairs, annoyed that she was being told to wait outside. She walked back down and sat on the second step, one arm rested on her knees while she fiddled with her necklace with her free hand. Her mind was whirring behind her anxious eyes. She straightened up when she saw two large rovers quickly driving through the gates. Medical staff rushed forward to get the wounded out of the back. Civilians glanced around nervously, confused about what to do. Emma stood, watching as the hurt soldiers were lead past her. She recognized a few from her self defense lessons, and one who was fairly okay gave her a quick reassuring smile. She felt her heart sink when she recognized one to be Maddy Shannon's boyfriend, Mark. He appeared to be unconscious, his left leg was drenched in blood.

Emma eventually had to turn, she couldn't stand the sight of these soldiers, covered in blood, hurt from looking for her brother. When she turned she spotted Skye watching from a distance, arms folded across her chest as she watched. Emma quickly found herself marching over to her, barely able to control her emotions.

Skye's eyes looked almost panicked when she saw Emma. She backed away a little, eyed the small bruise on her cheek. Emma stood in front of her, glaring at her.

"What the _hell _did you do?" she growled, her eyes darkening.

"What are you talking about?" Skye said in confusion.

"You told the Sixers about the team! Didn't you? I mean that _is _your job isn't it?" Emma snapped.

Skye shook her head violently. "No! I didn't!"

Emma ignored her, jabbing her in the chest with her finger. "And now two soldiers are _dead_! Because of _you_."

"I swear to you, I _did not_ tell them anything! I haven't gone OTG in weeks! I haven't been able to, Emma! I couldn't have told them!" it was true. Skye had found it incredibly difficult to go outside the gates after Emma's incident. She wasn't sure why, maybe she was just being paranoid, but she felt as if they were both being watched very closely. She couldn't risk going out to speak with Mira, even though she had received several notes telling her Mira wanted to talk to her. She had simply left another note on her window sill that said, "I can't."

"Then who told them?" Emma demanded. "How else would they have found out? Why should I even believe you?"

"Emma! Do you not hear me? I didn't tell them! I couldn't have, and I have no idea how they found out!" Skye snapped, loudly enough to make Emma flinch, but quietly enough that no one else could hear what they were arguing about. Skye's eyes grew distant suddenly as she glanced behind Emma.

Emma turned to see what she was looking at. A few soldiers were carefully carrying the covered bodies of the two soldiers away. Both girls felt sick to their stomachs. "I swear…I didn't do this," Skye whispered, her voice was shaking. Emma nodded, she could hear the sincerity and pain in her voice, and she couldn't help but believe her. It would be easy to blame her, but she knew deep down that Skye would never help the Sixers by putting Terra Nova people's lives in danger.

"Who told them then?" she repeated quietly, looking back at Skye. "Who did this?"

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><p>review review reviewww lol love to hear your thoughttssss<p> 


	16. Skye

whoaa no emma in this chapter! all skye's pov :) i kinda want to write some lucas/skye one shots now... ha

hope u like the chapter! :)

posts are every other day now :(

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><p>Skye was running the jungle. Pushing thick foliage out of her way as she continued on, scratches and cuts forming all over her arms and legs. Her lungs were on fire, like they would explode at any moment. She wasn't sure how long she'd been running, just that she had to keep going. She knew it was dangerous though, especially with what had just happened, but she <em>had <em>to speak with Mira.

She gripped her sonic tightly in her hand, offering some small comfort as she traveled through the darkness. She didn't know when she'd reach the camp, but she was sure she was getting closer. Her heard was racing, the sounds all around her cased panic to well up inside of her.

Skye heard a dinosaur roar loudly nearby. She faltered, tripped over a tree root that sent her flying forward. She felt herself smack into something fleshy, taking it down with her.

A small shriek escaped her lips as she landed on to of it, eliciting a loud gasp from the thing. Her mind was whirring from the initial shock. She lay on top of it, her cheek on something that felt like…a man's chest.

"What the hell…." a husky voice grumbled, sounding dazed as well. Skye lifted her head to look at the person, found herself staring straight into jade green eyes. "Bucket?"

She slowly registered who she was laying on top of. The only one around here that called her _Bucket_, besides her own mother of course, was… "Lucas?" she mumbled, a mixture of dazed confusion and fear in her quiet voice.

He chuckled darkly, not moving except for raising one hand to rub the back of his head. "Fancy seeing you here," he joked dryly. Skye moved a little, trying to look around then back down at him, not sure about what to do. Lucas shifted as she accidentally dug her elbow into his ribs. "_Ah_- Could you get off of me now?" His voice was lower, irritated.

Skye rolled to the side off of him, then stood up. Lucas stood in front of her, brushing himself off, not that it changed the amount of dirt and grime he was covered in. Skye mimicked his motions, a small blush forming on her cheeks, making her thankful it was night time.

"In a rush?" Lucas smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah…kind of…sorry," she muttered, pushing past him, remembering why she was there... What had happened because of him, well in an attempt to catch him.

He arched his eyebrows, quickly fell into step beside her. "We haven't seen you around lately," he stated.

Skye nodded, squinting her eyes to try to see better. A break in the canopy made this easier as the moon shone down into the forest.

"Why? How's my sister? And what happened to your face?" he asked when the light made the bruise by her chin visible.

Skye scowled, irritated by his questions,_ hell_, his presence in general. "Well if you _must_ know, after you two had your little OTG adventure, Emma and I have been under close watch from your father and the cop, _and _doing construction duty as punishment. Haven't really been able to get out lately."

"Wait, why you?"

"I was covering for her…"

"Hm…you didn't do a very good job of it," Lucas said matter-of-factly.

"Shut up," Skye hissed, unsure why she was getting so easily annoyed, "Your father already _knew_."

Lucas put his hands up beside his head, mocking her. She scowled again, hearing him laugh quietly. "So how is she?" his tone became worried, "Last time I saw her, Carter had practically strangled her. Is she okay now?" Skye had begun to notice that overtime he spoke about Emma, it was as if his entire personality shifted. He sounded like a caring, concerned big brother, not a psychopath bent on destroying his father.

She nodded reassuringly. "Well physically, yeah, I mean the bruises she got are gone…but emotionally, I have no idea."

Lucas frowned. "Aren't you guys friends?"

"Ha!" Skye shook her head. "Far from it."

Lucas cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to continue. Skye glanced up at him, saw him obviously expecting her to explain. She rolled her eyes.

"See this?" she stopped, pointed to the cut on her lip and larger bruise on the side of her mouth. "This would be from Emma. But don't worry, the one I gave her on her cheek isn't nearly as bad." Skye quickly continued on, Lucas flanking her side.

"You two got in a _fight_?" he growled, making her feel tense as he sounded again more like psycho Lucas. "What the hell happened?"

"Oh I don't know…maybe just that somehow she found out that _I'm _the Sixer 's not exactly happy about it," Skye said through gritted teeth.

"You're going to have to talk to Mira about that." Lucas shrugged innocently, remembering the look on Emma's face when the Sixer leader had accidentally let it slip that Skye was the mole.

Skye gaped at him. "M-Mira told her?" Lucas shrugged again. Skye quickened her pace, anger rising inside of her.

"Why are you here anyways?" he asked as they entered the camp. He glared dangerously at the camp guards as they moved towards Skye. She shook her head at him and handed the guards her gun. "Bucket -"

"None of your business, and _stop calling me that_," she grumbled, quickly climbing up one of ladders, leaving him there alone, answerless.

When she reached the top, she glanced down to see that her "companion" was gone. Carter stood just outside the room, staring at her incredulously. "You're here?"

Skye barely acknowledged him, rushing forward to her mother's bedside. Deborah's face was ashen, sickly. She coughed violently though she appeared to be unconscious.

"Why does she look worse" Skye's voice was frightened. Maybe the cure was no longer working. Maybe she was about to lose her mother the same way she'd lost her father.

Carter stood behind her cautiously. "She hasn't been getting her full dose of the medication for about a week and half," he informed her.

Skye jumped to her feet, turning to the Sixer, her eyes filled with anger. "Why not?"

"Mira is not happy about you going AWAL the past three weeks. She wanted to stop your mother's treatment completely…" Skye took a threatening step forward, making Carter take a quick step back. "…but I was able to convince her otherwise, and I snuck her some more every once and a while," he said, giving her a small smile, nodding to the small cloth pouch on the table. "I got one of the extra ones lying around, Mira won't notice."

"Thank you…" she whispered, eyeing the cure then turning back to her mother. Carter stepped back behind her again, gazing down at her with the same dark, concerned eyes he always seemed to give her when she wasn't paying attention.

"The other spy was here yesterday…Told us you and Taylor's kid were doing construction duty as a punishment for what happened with Lucas and her…and that you two got in a fight over her _boyfriend_," a small laugh laced his last words. "Nice bruise."

_The other spy_. _Of course_, she thought. "No, it was not over Emma's boyfriend!" she said defensively, gingerly touching the bruise. Carter raised his eyebrows. "It was over the fact that she knows I'm a…traitor." Skye frowned at her own words.

Carter frowned as well. "She hasn't told anyone, right? I told her not to…" he muttered.

Skye shook her head. "No…she hasn't…wait. When did you tell her that? And why the hell would you think she'd listen to you?…." she remembered when Lucas mentioned Carter had practically strangled Emma. Her eyes flitted up to meet Carter's. "No…you _threatened _her?"

Carter shrugged. "I just…told her not to tell her father -"

"While you had your arm around her neck!" Skye hissed. That probably hadn't helped with Emma's anger towards her.

The Sixer grimaced, tried to switch the subject. "Well Mira wasn't happy that the other spy had to abandon their…post… in Terra Nova to come tell us all of this information."

"Did the _other spy_ also tell you about the surveillance team? Is that how you found out?"

Carter frowned again, opening his mouth to speak but quickly changing his mind. Mira strode in, glaring at the girl. "Yes. The other spy did indeed tell us. But I have one question. Why didn't _you_ tell us?" Mira snapped. Carter backed away until he stood by the door.

Skye stood up, a fearless glint in her eyes. "Why did _you_ kill two innocent soldiers?" When she had learned who they were, she had almost cried as the anger and frustration began to overwhelm her. One had been a close friend of her fathers, like an uncle to her, and the other had been only _nineteen_. Not much older than her…just a kid…

Mira arched her eyebrows. Skye rarely stood up to her, she usually just kept her mouth shut, brought the intel, talked with her mother, then left. "They were hardly innocent."

The girl shook her head in disbelief. "They didn't do anything wrong. They were just following orders."

"As was I," Mira hissed, taking a step forward. "My job is to help Lucas. And I do _not_ care if any of Taylor's people get hurt in the process. And _your _job, is to get us intel, keep your mouth shut, and not ask questions. _Do you understand_?" The Sixer glanced dangerously down at Skye's mother, who still was fast asleep, completely oblivious to what was happening.

Skye glared up at Mira and nodded. She couldn't even express how much she hated this woman.

"Good. Now do you have something for us?" Mira cocked her head to the side expectantly.

Skye felt her breath hitch in her throat. She had been so occupied with trying to find a good time to sneak out and worrying about everything that had happened that day, it hadn't even crossed her mind to get some intel to help front of her mother, afraid Mira might get angry, retaliate against her using Deborah.

"Well then you better go," was all she said, motioning Carter to get Skye. He quickly walked over, grasped her upper arm.

"W-wait! What about my mom?" she asked, tugging against the Sixer's hold on her.

"How about we discuss that when you get us something useful?" Mira nodded towards the doorway.

Skye turned as Carter hauled her out of the room, seeing that Mira was looking at her mother. It made her nervous, but she forced her attention to the pouch Carter had left by the door. She quickly reached out and grabbed it, stuffing it in her pocket as the Sixer yanked on her again. _There are extra ones…they'll never notice_, she thought hopefully.

She quickly climbed down the tall ladder, jumping down the last few steps as small tears begin to form, sliding down her cheeks. Carter followed after her. One of the guards walked forward, handing her the sonic. He looked familiar, but Skye had never seen him around before. Then it hit her. _Curran_. The soldier that had murdered a fellow soldier, then was banished by the Commander. _He's with the Sixers now?_ she thought. He had a similar shock on his face when he recognized her.

"Oh my God…" she whispered to him, wiping her eyes, "You're alive?"

He nodded slowly, looking behind her to see Carter talking with someone else. "Skye right?"

She nodded. "Why are you here? Why are you siding with the Sixers? You made a mistake…a big mistake…but you don't have to be a complete traitor!"

Curran chuckled darkly. "_I'm_ the traitor?"

Skye frowned, realizing how hypocritical her statement had been. "But I have a good reason…but it's not like I want to be doing this…I'm _not_ one of them," she said, mostly to herself.

The ex-soldier shrugged. "I know…Maybe I'm not really one of them either," he said with a wink.

"C'mon," Carter said gruffly, hopping into one of the rovers.

Curran stared at her lost expression. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He knew that she'd brought her mother here during the Syncilic Fever epidemic, which was about three years ago. She'd been spying for the Sixers, lying to everyone she cared about since she was 13. He understood what it felt like to be an outcast, even though their reasons were very different. "Skye,…if…" he glanced at the rover nervously, "if you want _out_…I think I can help."

Her eyes widened. She felt the medicine press against her leg. "…How?"

"Let's talk later… I'll find a way to contact you." He patted her shoulder and began to turn.

"_Why_? Why are you doing this?" she asked. She had never once spoken to him in her entire life in Terra Nova. The only reason she even knew his name was because of what he did. Curran's eyebrows cinched together.

"Terra Nova…is a place for second chances," he whispered, turning to face her again, "but second chances aren't just handed out…you have to _earn_ them. That's what I'm trying to do I guess. I um…need to make things right." He knew the Commander wanted him to spy on the Sixers, but helping someone, helping _Skye _and her sickly mother escape them, would probably be just as good. Skye nodded understandingly. "I think I have an idea for what I can do…if it all works out, you shouldn't need to come back here…now you should probably go before your..friend…gets suspicious."

Skye cast one last glance up at Curran then followed Carter into the rover. Her head was spinning. _What just happened?_ Was this…ex-soldier, this _murderer_ really going to help her? She didn't even know if she could trust him. But, what did she have to lose?

She watched carefully as the Sixer typed in the code for the vehicle, doing her best to memorize the numbers. She repeated them over and over in her mind, trying to hold them there, which wasn't the easiest task at the moment. But who knew when she might need to use one of the vehicles. It might just come in handy, having that code.

They drove quickly through the tough terrain, Skye quietly gripping the handle beside the door with one hand and the sonic in the other. When Carter asked if they needed to stop at the outpost to drop off her gun, he was surprised to hear her say no. Skye knew she wasn't going back, she hoped anyways. She knew it was a long shot, but she was going to try to stay optimistic. She wanted out…she was tired of being a spy, a liar, a traitor. The only thing keeping her there had been her mother…but she had the medicine and if this Curran could really get her out, then she would be free. From the Sixers that is. She didn't even want to think about what Taylor would do.

Carter dropped her off at the tree line, watching until he was sure she was safely back in Terra Nova. Skye glanced around, up at the nearby watch towers. No one was looking in her direction. She quickly weaved through the storage containers then through the housing units, being careful to stay unnoticed. W

When she reached her house, she crept in the front door. As she tip-toed to her bedroom, she could hear her house mates faint snores from inside their rooms. _Good, they're asleep_. She shut her door, peeled off her clothes that were covered in a blanket of dirt and sweat. She pulled on her pajamas and curled into her small bed, clutching the corner of her blanket in her fist. Her mind was racing, trying to sort out the night's events as she shut her eyes. As much as she wanted it to, sleep would not come. Only Lucas's green eyes, her mother's sickly face, the cure still in her short's pocket, and Curran's possible out for her, were all that filled her mind.

She wasn't exactly sure what she had been thinking when she stole the medicine…something inside her just told her to do it. And then there Curran had been, offering her his help. She knew it was dangerous to trust him, he was a murderer, an exile, a Sixer…_or was he_? His words replayed in her mind. _Maybe I'm not really one of them either._ What did he mean? Her tired brain could come up with no answers. Somehow the words, she couldn't explain it, but they made her trust him. _This might be your only chance, Skye. __**Take it**__, _her mind commanded.

Skye craned her neck to gaze out her open window at the bright stars. She was tired of the lying, tired of the betrayals, tired of feeling guilty every time she saw the Commander's angry face when a convoy was raided. She was sick of the Sixers and their smug faces, sick of them only giving her mother just enough medication and food to survive, then using her against her whenever she didn't do her job well enough. Skye wanted it to be over. She nodded to herself, her mind whispering to her to trust the ex-soldier, repeating the same two words over and over. _**Take it**_**. **


	17. The Funeral

so sorry for taking so long to update! i got major writer's block on top of having a ton of make up work at school from being home sick. notttt fun.

and **WOW **someone is copying my story...how RUDE is that? :/ hmph, cant people be more original than that? ergh

well for some shoutouts to my lovely frandsss who are amazingly supportive and fun to fangirl over Ashley Zukerman(Lucas) with haa

**Forgiving You **by **EmTheUnicorn **- so so so so soooo cute love it omgggg ha :)

**The Dating Game **& **Betrayal Isn't Fleeting**[almost complete *SOB*] by **Miss Junie**

**Cut Off Without Ammends** by **NumberSixten **[GTFO haters, her story is amazing and so is she!]

**Forbidden Fruit **by **ShellyStark **- lmfaoo her A/N at the end of the last chapter had me cracking upppp

**Things Lost in the Fire **by **vaarna**

and then just everything else in my favorites :) hope you enjoy this chapter! i see the favorites, alerts, etc, but please review! i'd love to hear your thoughts

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><p>Emma sat curled up on the couch, her knees up to her chest, covered by her blanket, and her back against the wall. She had fallen asleep there the night before, waiting for her father to return. He'd gotten home late, and through half-lidded eyes, she'd seen him quickly cover her with a blanket from her room then disappear into his study. She had lied there silently, struggling to sleep. She knew for a fact that her father hadn't slept at all. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was stressed, not to mention the fact he still wore yesterday's clothes.<p>

She watched as her father paced back and forth by the kitchen, reading something on his plex. They'd been like this, silently, for what seemed like hours. He rubbed his brow as she continued to stare at him warily.

The exhausted Commander glanced over at his daughter. She sat so quietly on the couch across from him, playing with the hem of her pajama shirt. He thought he saw a glint of what looked like _guilt_ in her eyes, wondered why they quickly flitted away when she saw him look at her. He had no idea that she was biting her tongue, willing herself to stay silent and not give up the spy's identity. No, he had much more on his mind.

Emma wasn't exactly sure why she hadn't told him about Skye yet. Part of her wanted to, told her she should. But another part told her to wait, said maybe she could make some use of this secret.

Her father's voice cut into her contemplating. "Emma, I know this is definitely not what you signed up for when you came here. I didn't expect this either…I'm sorry…" Taylor placed his plex down on the counter, coming to sit on the white couch across from her. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the edge of his knees, hands clasped together.

Emma's brow furrowed and she shook her head. "Why are you sorry? This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is…" he said sadly.

"No, Lucas _chose _to do what he's done. You weren't the one who ordered those Sixers to attack the soldiers," she said. Of course she knew that he meant why Lucas had been driven to that area the team had been watching, not the attack.

"I know…but maybe…maybe if things had been different, back in 2138..." he whispered, mostly to himself.

Emma felt memories, endless nightmares come crashing down on her. Her father's words became distant as her mind wandered. Her hazel eyes moved to the ground as the horrified face of the little girl behind the window overwhelmed the rest of the flashbacks, dulling them into the background. The pain behind her eyes was undeniably obvious, though her father didn't seem to notice. The screaming, the crying, the gunshots, were ringing her ears. Her eyes darted back and forth across the floor, though in her mind she was seeing that day again. It was too much.

"_Stop!_" she heard herself half-yell. Taylor looked up at her in shock, eyes wide with confusion. Emma's were wide, tears prickling behind them. The painful memories vanished just as quickly as they had come. She let out a low, ragged breath as her heart rate struggled to return to normalcy. Her angry gaze met her father's, her vision growing blurry as frustrated tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't say that," she said through gritted teeth, fighting to keep the tears at bay.

Taylor could see something flicker behind her eyes, something that resembled Lucas. Maybe it was just the green in her eyes, seeming more noticeable that ever. Maybe it was the anger. Whatever it was, it worried him.

"I can't believe you would say that…" she whispered, brow furrowed deeply.

Taylor shook his head as he glared at the floor. "That's not what I meant."

"Do…do you regret it?" he glanced at her in confusion. "Choosing Lucas, _do you regret it_?" She couldn't believe she was asking him that, but the words were out of her mouth before she could even think.

Taylor gaped at her. He knew how his words had sounded, but the question still shocked him. "Emmalin Taylor, why the _hell _would you ask something like that?" He saw her flinch at his raised voice, his choice of words as well. They were both saying the unexpected it seemed. "I'm sorry…" he muttered.

Emma hesitantly stood, moved to sit beside him. "Just…answer the question," she begged quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I regret…not saving your mother," Emma breathed in sharply, but he quickly continued, "I regret, not doing more to get you back, not looking for you back then. I regret not being there for Lucas. _I regret not protecting all of you_." His eyes were hurt, guilt washing over him.

She looked at him sadly. _So much regret. _Emma felt cruel for asking what she had. "There was nothing you could have done, Dad," she whispered, "Not then, and not yesterday."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she placed her head against his shoulder. He quickly wiped away the forming tears before she noticed. After a few minutes, she pulled away, wiping her eyes. "The-the funeral, is in a couple hours…we should probably get ready," she mumbled, getting to her feet. Taylor nodded but didn't moved. Emma sighed and walked to her room.

He continued to sit on the couch, wondering how the hell this kid was able to do this to him. For years he'd hidden behind his steel façade, pushing away the memories, the pain. But somehow Emma was able to find cracks in his armor, and then made them bigger. She was making him open up, face the past, face his mistakes. But she didn't make him feel worse than he already did. She found the injured man behind the mask and was slowly healing him. But the biggest scar, one that he wasn't sure she could do much about, that was Lucas. Lucas blamed him, hated him, _wanted _him to feel pain. Taylor didn't know if things would ever be fixed between them, not after Somalia. Not after Lucas had vowed to destroy him. When Lucas found his father's soft spots, he exploited it and used it against him. His son wanted him to regret, while his daughter wanted him to simply understand. Emma, was their only connecting factor at this point.

It wasn't until Emma reappeared from her bedroom and walked up to him, did he realize he was still sitting there.

"Dad?" she murmured. His head snapped up to meet her concerned gaze.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I should go get..er ready," he said quickly, getting to his feet and walking to his room. Emma stared after him, worry still evident on her face. She arched her eyebrows and turned back to her room to finish getting ready.

When they were both done they silently made their way to the Command Center. Crowds of Terra Novans were gathered around the area, waiting for the funeral precession, the march out to Memorial Field. The solemnity was almost heartbreaking, and Emma couldn't help but feel bad, knowing her brother was what caused this in a way. She spotted Josh standing by the stairs with his family. Skye stood nearby with her housemates, looking anxious. She and Taylor walked over to the Shannons, exchanging small, sad smiles. Her father spoke quietly to Jim for a moment, then promptly disappeared with Lieutenant Washington to work on some last minute things, leaving her with her boyfriend's family.

Skye stood next to Hunter, arms folded over her chest. She shifted her weight back and forth onto each foot, biting her bottom lip nervously. Glancing over towards the storage units, she could see a faint light flashing. _Really? Now? _her brain moaned in annoyance. During a funeral? That _they _caused? And they wanted to meet now? The area was filled with almost every citizen of Terra Nova, including all of the soldiers. It wouldn't be difficult for someone to notice the signal. The Sixers were willing to risk being caught? _Must be damn important, _she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she was almost positive she saw Emma staring in the direction of the light, a suspicious look on her face. _Great, just great_.

Emma leaned into Josh, his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. Zoe stood on Josh's other side, holding his free hand. Emma glanced down at the little girl, standing slightly behind her big brother. It reminded her so much of her and Lucas. Protective big brother, shy but adventurous little sister. She felt herself smile, but it quickly faded when she noticed a small, flashing light in the distance. It was towards where the group would sneak out to go OTG, by the green storage containers. She glanced at Skye, who seemed to notice it too. Emma watched her fidget nervously as she continuously looked in the direction of the light. It was a signal, no doubt from the Sixers. Emma scowled disapprovingly. _Right now? Really? _At least Skye seemed to be trying to ignore it.

As the funeral began, Emma watched after her father as he marched down the path, Wash on his right, followed by soldiers carrying two coffins. On his left was a woman carrying a small baby, and a little boy walking next to her, gripping the hem of her dress as he looked around at the crowd nervously. Next to him was a younger girl, probably about 18. _They must be the soldiers' families_, she thought. The mother stood strong for her children, and the young woman stood strong for her own sake.

They walked along, everyone with a serious face, slowly making their way to the gates towards Memorial Field. Emma squeezed her eyes shut as they passed, wishing so much that Lucas could be there, so that she could point at the two fatherless children, the widowed mother, the devastated fiancé, and ask him if it was worth it. So she point to the coffins of the innocent soldiers and ask him if he really thought that their mother would've wanted this. If he thought _she _wanted this.

"Hey," a voice whispered. Emma opened her eyes and looked over to see Avery standing beside her.

"Hi…" Emma said back, finding her friend's fairly unemotional expression to be a little unsettling.

"It's really sad, isn't it," Avery's voice was bland, "Do you think they'll find the spy?"

"I don't know," Emma shrugged, watching angrily as Skye slowly slipped away from the group, making her way towards the light, "The truth always comes out eventually, doesn't it?"

Avery looked at the girl skeptically. Emma pulled away from Josh. "I'll be right back," she whispered, smiling up at him. He nodded and redirected his attention to the funeral.

She turned and brushed past Avery, quickly following after Skye. Jim glanced over to see the two girls wandering off, suspicion washing over his face. Avery glared after them, debating about either radioing the Sixers, or following them.

Skye quickly made her way through the storage boxes to the gate. She slipped under easily, not even bothering the check to make sure no one had seen her. She rushed to the tree line, quickly becoming hidden from any prying Terra Novan eyes. She marched up to the waiting rover, practically fuming.

"What? What do you want?" she snapped as she threw open the door.

"Well, no need to be so rude… I told you I was going to contact you," Curran retorted, arching his eyebrows.

Skye's face became slightly flushed, but she quickly recovered. "I thought you were Carter or something…you don't have very good timing by the way… we're kind of in the middle of a _funeral_," she said, crossing her arms.

The ex-soldier's eyes grew sad. "I know… they were good soldiers," he muttered. Skye nodded, her blue eyes softening momentarily.

"Well…um I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon," she said finally. "So can you do it? Can you get my mother out of there?"

"I think so, but it might take a little longer than I thought," he began, stopping short at the sound of a dinosaur's loud screeching nearby. "Here, uh get in," he said when he saw Skye's nervous face. She quickly jumped in, shutting the door. He waited till the dinosaur had gone to continue. "Well, the Sixers still don't trust me completely," he explained. "They're keep a close eye on me. So I can't do anything sketchy… this is a one chance thing, and right now there's too big of a risk that I could get caught."

Skye's face fell. "That means I have to go back, doesn't it? I have to keep spying for them?"

"For the time being," he said, "But I think I have an idea for how I would get her out when the time comes."

The girl nodded for him to continue. "I'll be able to bring her to one of the outposts, but you're going to need to bring her back the rest of the way. You'll probably need someone to help you, though…do you know anyone that could?" he asked.

Skye nodded again then stopped. "Wait, why can't you bring her all the way? Aren't you going to come back to Terra Nova after?"

Curran shook his head. "Not right away."

"If the Sixers find out you helped me, they will _kill _you."

"I…I know, but I don't intend on getting caught," he said with a small grin, "I think Commander Taylor will want me to stay there a little longer though, if I don't get caught I can still be of use once I'm more trusted."

Skye's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "Commander Taylor? Wh-what do you mean?"

Curran raised one eyebrow. "The Commander is the one who sent me to spy on the Sixers…" he said slowly as she gaped at him. "I told you, remember, I told you I wasn't really one of them." He smirked, almost proudly, as he ran his fingers through his dark hair.

"But…you haven't told him that I'm the spy?" she asked incredulously.

He shook his head. "We haven't met yet, I obviously don't know anything worth telling him about yet," he glanced at her, "I didn't even know about the attack on those soldiers until after it happened."

Skye breathed a sigh of relief. "So um, how long till we do this?" she whispered.

"Well once we get things more planned out, and I find out how to get some of your mother's medicine, it should only take a few weeks I think," he said hopefully.

"I have some. Some of the cure…I uh, stole some, last night. Carter left it out and I took it when they weren't look it," she confessed. Curran let out a small laugh and nodded approvingly.

"Well that definitely makes this easier. But you will need a rover and definitely at least one other person to help you, just to be able to keep an eye on her when you're driving back to the colony. She's still very fragile as you know."

"I think I know someone, she might be willing to help," she said hesitantly. "I should probably go, before anyone notices I'm gone."

Curran nodded in agreement, watching as she quickly opened the door and hopped out. "See you soon, Skye."

"Yeah, thank you so much. This really means a lot to me," she smiled, giving him a quick wave before shutting the door and running back towards the colony.

Skye slid under the gates and casually stood, seeing that everyone was still by the Command Center, though the soldiers and Taylor appeared to be gone already. She sighed, brushing the dirt off of her clothes, and fixing her hair.

"You're still working for them."

The spy swung around to see Emma Taylor leaning against the fence not too far from her entrance/exit. The girl looked at her in disgust and disbelief. Skye felt her breath hitch in her throat as she struggled to find the words to explain.

"E-Emma…what are you doing here?" she spluttered. Her mind was racing.

Emma ignored the question as she slowly walked up to Skye, shaking her head, her brow furrowed and a disappointed frown lingered on her lips. "You're still working for them," she repeated.

Skye shook her head. "No, well…sort of, but not for much longer!"

Emma looked at her questioningly, folding her arms in front of her chest as she awaited elaboration.

"I-I'm getting _out_," Skye said quickly, feeling nervous under Emma's intense glare. It reminded her so much of how the Commander and Lucas could stare someone down, make them panic with just their eyes. "I…um, I think I've found a way out, Emma. I won't have to spy for them anymore if this works."

The Commander's daughter looked more skeptical than angry now. "There's a Sixer, he…he's actually a Terra Nova spy, for your father… he's going to help me get my mom out of there, bring her _here_," Skye paused, glancing over at the crowd that was beginning to disperse, then at the dark jungle she had just come from. "But I'm going to need someone else's help, to get her all the way back…"

Emma nodded, walking past Skye to lean against one of the containers, staring at the ground momentarily. "You want my help?" she half-laughed.

Skye felt her heart sink. Emma was probably her only hope to make this successful…what if she wouldn't help? "Well I …yes," she nodded sadly. Why had she even thought she would help her? Didn't Emma hate her? She had just hoped -

"Okay, I'll do it."

Skye's eyes widened, her jaw almost dropping. "Wh-what? You _will_?" she whispered in disbelief.

Emma nodded. "I just said I will."

"But why? We're not even friends…"

She shrugged. "Well the alternatives are you or your mother get hurt trying to do it without me, or you continue having to help the Sixers…I wouldn't wish either of those fates, on anyone…" Emma's voice grew small with her last words.

Skye stared at her incredulously. "Emma, I..I don't know what to say…just _thank you,_" she said gratefully.

"But I want something in return," she said quickly, watching as Skye's face grew confused.

"W-what?" Skye asked anxiously.

"I want to see my brother."

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><p>review pretty please? :)))) i love you alllll<p> 


	18. Doubts & Suspicions

**A/N:** sorrryyy for that mini hiatus! ive been busyy, sort of. lol last week was all tests at school, like the stupid California Highschool Exit Exam and then Emily decided to get me hooked on the Australian cop show, Rush(Ashley Zukerman's on it) and i'm obsesseddddddd! it's so good :D Ash as Michael Sandrelli = me dead lol

well hopefully the next chapter will be up by wed. :) sorry this one's kinda shorttt, its kind of a filler

make sure to check out: **The Dating Game **by **Miss Junie**, **Not the End **by **agentsilentowl**, and IDK I'm a firm Lucas/Skye shipper, but this Carter/Skye story is amazingg i love it :D It's **To Put Her Back Together **by crystalkei(on livejournal)** / cupcakesandtv**(on tumblr) and here's the link terranovafanfic(.)livejournal(.)com/102610(.)html#cutid1 remove the ()

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><p>"You want to <em>what<em>?" Skye finally managed to splutter in disbelief.

Emma looked at her seriously. "I want to see my brother," she repeated flatly.

"I really don't think that's a good idea…" Skye said, crossing her arms over her chest as she slowly shook her head.

"_Why?_" Emma questioned intently, glowering at the spy's incredulous expression. Why the hell did Skye think she had any right to give her opinion on this? She wanted her help, and this is what Emma wanted in return, no questions asked.

"I don't trust him, and I don't think you should either…"

"He's my _brother_, he wouldn't hurt me," Emma stated stubbornly, clenching her fists.

"Do you have some sort of memory loss, Emma? Have you forgotten what happened the last time you were with him?" Skye arched her eyebrows, eyes wide and frustrated. She remembered standing not too far from the Command Center when the rovers had rolled back into the gates. The second they had come to a stop, she had seen Jim Shannon jump out of the back of one with an unconscious Emma in his arms, her father's knife still on her ankle. When Skye saw the bruise around her neck, like she had been choked and the bruise forming on her cheek, she had felt instant guilt. She had let her go out there to find her brother, or go to where Lucas spent most of his time which would no doubt have led to her finding him, and this is what had happened.

Emma's eyes scanned the ground at her feet as she grew quiet, gritting her teeth.

"You came back looking like you were half-dead! I thought you _were _dead when I first saw you."

"It wasn't _that _bad…" Emma grumbled, remembering though how she had looked when she saw herself in the mirror for the first time.

"You were unconscious from a concussion, and you were _covered _in bruises! Like that one on your neck?" Skye said incredulously .

"Lucas didn't do that, he saved my life. It was that Sixer, _Carter_, that gave me the bruise on my neck," she watched as Skye froze momentarily at the sound of the man's name. "When he was telling me not to tell my father about your…little secret. So I guess I could even say it was sort of your fault." She shrugged almost jokingly.

"Ha!" Skye scoffed, feeling more irritated and less guilty, "My…my fault? Yes, because I told you to go out there!"

Emma frowned as Skye shook her head again, staring outside the fence. She breathed a small sigh of defeat, hating herself for what she was going to do. "Skye, please. I've been keeping your secret, I'm going to risk my _life _to help you, all I'm asking for, is this one favor… I just want to talk to him. _Please_." She hated this, begging Skye for a favor. She hated feeling like Skye had the upper hand, though she wasn't even sure how that was. She wanted to kick herself for sounding so desperate.

Skye arched her eyebrows as she stared at the ground. "Okay…I'll uh, try to…arrange something," she shrugged lazily, "But, have you forgotten? Emma, he's working with the Sixers…"

Emma scowled. "So are you!"

"But I'm getting out, because I'm tired of lying…of hurting the people I care about…But Lucas, I mean has if even _occurred _to you, that even though you're here now, even though you're alive and he should no longer have a reason for what he's doing, he's still working on those calculations. He still wants to destroy Terra Nova and your father. Even though you could easily get hurt if his plan succeeds…"

"He wouldn't hurt me," she repeated quietly, trying to push away the truth behind Skye's words.

"I don't think… I don't think he _cares_, Emma. I don't think he cares who gets hurt as long as he beats your father. I don't think he's the same brother you knew 11 years ago." Skye knew these words were partly a lie, she knew Lucas cared about his sister, but she also knew about his lack of good judgment due to the overwhelming desire for revenge.

Emma took in a sharp breath at Skye's last statement. She wasn't even sure what to think at that point. "You're wrong…" she said slowly, pain flashing behind her darkened eyes. "I'll prove it to you. Just…figure out this meeting, okay?"

Skye nodded, knowing Emma was too stubborn to really listen to her, or at least to admit that she might be right. Of course she wanted to believe her brother was a good person, that he wouldn't overlook her safety for anything. _Maybe, _she thought, _Emma will just learn the hard way… _

"Okay, good…um thanks. I uh we should probably get back before we're missed…" Emma whispered, pushing herself away from the storage container she had been leaning on before starting to make her way back to the crowd of oblivious Terra Novans. Skye stared after her momentarily, debating about her next move. So she was supposed to go back to the Sixer camp and arrange a meeting between psycho Lucas Taylor and his sister, help Emma sneak out and get back in undetected, then help Curran sneak her mother out of the same camp, bring her to Terra Nova and pray Taylor wouldn't punish her too harshly when he found out. All she knew for sure, was these were dangerous waters they were about to enter. _Great, this is just great_, her mind groaned as she continued after Emma.

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><p>Avery continued to stare in the direction that the girls had gone. She so desperately wanted to follow them, to find out what they were up to. But she knew she would be too easily spotted. She had seen the flashing light, so maybe Skye was meeting with the Sixers, but that didn't explain why Emma had followed as well. Avery's brow furrowed as she recalled Taylor's daughter speaking a few days before about knowing a secret about Skye. That Sixer, Carter, and Mira had asked if Skye's cover was still intact when she had gone to tell them about the surveillance team at Snakehead Falls. They were very intent on learning exactly why she hadn't been around in almost three weeks, besides the fact that Mira was annoyed her new spy had taken the risk of traveling through the jungle on her own, but had quickly relaxed when Avery informed them about her and Emma being under close watch after the OTG incident, but it was because their spy covered for her, not because they were suspicious.<p>

She didn't understand why they would care though. If Skye got caught, then Taylor would think everything was okay, that the Sixers wouldn't be able to have the upper hand at any point again. But of course they would still, because they had her. Avery was proud of how she had practically waltzed out of the gates and no one had even noticed. When would her employers realize that she was a better spy? She _wanted _to work for them, well she wanted the money, but it wasn't like Skye's situation. Her loyalties weren't split, she was focused and knew exactly what she wanted. And not to mention the adrenaline rush she got when she saw everything she had caused, she couldn't help but love it. She had never felt like she had an impact on anything or anyone. No one had ever cared about her existence, but _now, _now she mattered. _Who needs Skye_? she thought bitterly.

Avery averted her eyes over to Skye and Emma's group of friends momentarily, then turning back again to notice Emma Taylor slinking back into the crowd as if she had never left. She had a wide smile, but her eyes looked pained and dark. Skye followed soon after her, stress overwhelming her features. She had her arms folded over her chest as she stiffly walked to her friends, forcing a small smile.

Emma leaned against Josh slightly as he wrapped his arms around her casually, continuing his conversation with Max and Hunter. Avery watched as the two girls quickly joined into the conversation, acting as if they hadn't just been missing for at least half an hour. Emma spotted her, giving her a small smile and waving her over to join them. Avery smiled back and strode over to the group.

"Hey," Avery said as she stood next to Emma. "Where'd you run off to earlier?"

"Oh, um, no where," she said quickly causing her red-haired friend to arched her eyebrows in suspicion. "Guys, this is Avery. Avery, this is Josh, Hunter, Max, and…Skye."

The teenagers grinned at her with a few "hellos" before continuing with their conversation once again. The spy quietly stood a little outside of the group, observing how Emma and Skye were attempting to get along, though the tension was still very evident. It wasn't long though before Skye excused herself, claiming to be exhausted. Avery noted the almost relieved, hopeful expression on Emma's face now, making her more curious as to what was going on between these two "rivals".

Skye began to walk in the direction of her house, going to grab her sonic before she left. She turned quickly when she felt someone's presence behind her. Emma had just jogged up, quickly glancing around. Neither one was aware of the red-headed spy eavesdropping not to far away. Either way, they spoke in hushed tones. Avery strained her ears to hear them, her curiosity getting the best of her. She was only just able to make out something about Lucas, doing something as soon as possible, and then something about Skye's mother. Suspicion welled up inside of her as she hid near another group of people as Skye and Emma parted ways again, waiting to be sure they wouldn't see her. So Emma had to know, then, if she knew Skye's mom was alive. But what was this about Lucas? And something very important needing to be done soon. She didn't even realize how long she'd been standing there until one of the people near her gave her a funny look. She shoved her hands in her pockets, quickly making her way to her house as she contemplated the possibilities of the other spy and the Commander's daughter's conversation. They were up to something, she could tell. As she glanced around, she was able to see a small figure in the distance slipping through the gates and into the darkness, envy washing over her once again.

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><p><strong>AN: **again, sorry it was short :/ hopefully the next ones will be longer :)

thankyou for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts :D


	19. Disagreements

**A/N: **here's chapter 19! :D sorry it took a while againnn, im trying not to rush this so it'll come out better

I'm still obsessing over Rush, Me and Emily have decided that Michael/Ash is our Smurf...yes. _Smurf. _And we've made our own lil fanclub called the S.E. ahaha It's getting kinda insane but it's way too fun to stop this fangirling. Oh and Mosh...thanks Jemma for getting me a new crack!ship aha #PrivateJokesAboutRush lol

Shoutouts to: **Family Ties: 1 I'm Not Your Sister **by **EmTheUnicorn**, **Thick as Theives **by **Jemmz **(Ohhh Lucas has a twin brother! Oh and thankyou Jemma for making me cool gifs :D ), and **TN Josh's Discovery **by **Violet****Vision **(it's quite hilarious, so go read it!)

hope you like the chapter :)

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><p>Lucas sat just within the cover of the jungle, gazing out at Memorial Field. He leaned back against the giant tree trunk, head craning up to look through the break in the canopy at the clear, blue sky. He drummed his fingers on his knee, mixed emotions about the situation making him impatient. He tiredly rubbed his face, glanced back at the large clearing with the scattered graves of civilians and soldiers alike. His green eyes wandered to the two newest burials, a twinge of guilt pulling at the back of his mind. He quickly pushed it away, told himself it wasn't his fault, he hadn't told Mira to ambush the soldiers, in fact he didn't even know about it until later on.<p>

As his eyes stayed fixated on the graveyard, he wondered why Emma would suddenly want to see him. Sure he was happy, but the longer he waited, the more anxious he became. It felt akin to the way a child felt when he sat outside the principal's office, wondering what he had done to land himself there. When he had questioned Skye about his sister's motives, she simply shrugged unconvincingly. It was possible she wasn't really sure either. It could be any number of things, from the soldiers' deaths to her maybe even just wanting to see him.

Lucas was also very curious as to why she wanted to meet _there_. Meeting at this particular location made him skeptical about the possibility of it being just a chance for the siblings to catch up. No, there was a meaning behind this, he just wasn't entirely sure what it was yet.

He yanked his plex out of his backpack, wondering what time it was. He felt as if he'd been waiting for days, as the anticipation built up inside him. Skye didn't tell him an exact time, just that it would be a little after noon. _12:37 _his plex's clock read. He shoved it back in his bag, and gazed back up at the sky in boredom. He had brought some of his work with him, in case something like this happened and he had some spare time, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea at the moment.

Just as he let his eyes flutter shut from exhaustion, he heard footsteps nearby. His jade eyes snapped open, spotting a girl walking slowly through the clearing towards the soldiers' graves. In her hand was a small bouquet of wild flowers she must've picked on her way there. Around her left ankle was a combat knife, the same one she'd be wearing the day he'd found her at Snakehead Falls. He watched quietly as Emma knelt down in front of the graves, her face sympathetic, as she carefully placed a few of the colorful flowers down on each one. She straightened up, stood there staring down at the soldiers' final resting spot, guilt washing over her once again. She glanced around suddenly, remembering why she was there, just in time to see her brother emerge from the foliage.

A small smile formed on her lips, helping him to relax a bit. He grinned back, happy she didn't appear to be angry at him or anything, but he still hesitated to move closer to the graves. Emma arched her eyebrows when she saw him glance at the graves in discomfort, at her, then at the graves again. She crossed her arms, showing no signs of moving herself.

Lucas groaned internally, knowing Emma sensed his displeasure in the location. But she was making it clear, if they were going to talk it was going to be on her terms, and she was not exactly willing to work within his "comfort zone".

Reluctantly he made his way towards her, face expressionless. Emma watched him struggling to stay angry at him. After Skye had said those things to her, she couldn't help but doubt him somewhat, realize that she was right about some of it. It made her angry knowing that he was still working on his plans to destroy her new home. She had _hoped _he had stopped or was at least considering that after she had last seen him. How could he possibly still want to destroy this place? But he was still her brother, and she continued to argue with Skye about was whether he cared about her or not. She was more important to him than his calculations and his ridiculous fantasies of revenge… or so she hoped.

Lucas stood awkwardly beside her, his hands in his pockets and his head cocked slightly to the side as he waited for her to say something. Emma stared at the graves, and Lucas could tell she was thinking hard as her face contorted into several different emotions. The silence was overwhelming.

"What's wrong?" he asked finally unable to stand her saddened face any longer.

Emma glanced up at him minutely before looking back to the graves. "This…" she motioned towards the mounds of dirt covered by rock, her voice was barely above a whisper.

She was shocked to find herself suddenly wrapped in her brother's arms. She felt exactly like she had when she first saw him at Snakehead Falls. Knowing she should be pushing him away, but not being able to. Emma allowed him to hug her, comfort her for the time being while she pulled her thoughts together again.

She wasn't pulling away, but her arms hung down by her sides and she made no indication of hugging him back. Lucas felt terrible. He didn't want Emma to be ashamed of him, but somehow he kept screwing up. He always screwed up. He said the wrong things, did the wrong things, every single time. His father hated him, and the last thing he needed was for his sister to do the same.

She sniffled against his chest, trying to stop the few angry tears that slid down her cheeks. _Stop crying, _her brain snapped at her, _Stop it now._ Emma carefully disentangled herself from his grasp, stepping back as she wiped her eyes. She tried her best to avoid his saddened gaze, but she was finding it very difficult.

"Are you okay?" he questioned, concern covering the upset expression.

Emma nodded, sinking down to sit on the soft grass. She stared down at it, picking out blades of the green and tearing them into smaller pieces before tossing them aside. Lucas sat down across from her, watching her distract herself. He picked up a small stick, subconsciously mimicking his sister's activity.

"You have to stop this," she begged quietly, looking up at him finally, eyebrows knitted together with a pained glint behind her moistened eyes. She needed to get right to business before he got her off track and talking about something completely different.

Lucas's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, not quite comprehending her words. He glanced at her as he twirled the remainder of the stick in his fingers. "Stop…what?"

Emma dropped the grass trying to figure out if he was joking or he really wasn't sure what she meant. "This," she repeated, her gaze flitted to the grave then back to him. She practically scoffed when he still didn't seem to quite understand. "This, as in hurting innocent people, as in those stupid calculations, as in you focusing all of your time and energy on trying to destroy Terra Nova," she snapped.

He glowered at her words, running his fingers through his unkempt hair. His green eyes flashed in annoyance. Why did their conversations always come back to this? Why could they never just _talk? _He realized that it was really only the second time they'd seen each other since she arrived, but he still wished they could have a different conversation.

"Why?" he muttered, focusing back on snapping the twig in his fingers until there was nothing left.

Emma arched her eyebrows. "Because it's crazy! I really don't understand why you're still on this!" she said incredulously.

Lucas stiffened, anger rising up inside him again. _Breathe, Lucas, breathe, _his mind urged, _She didn't mean that. _"Don't call me crazy," he growled through gritted teeth as his eyes darkened. She watched nervously, wondering if maybe it was a bad idea being out there alone.

"I wasn't calling you crazy, Lucas." Her expression softened as she tried to calm him down more. "You're not, okay?"

Lucas nodded slowly, feeling his heart rate lower once again. He refused to meet her gaze, feeling embarrassed about letting his anger get to him.

"I can't stop," he told her with a shake of his head. He glanced up minutely at her, seeing that Emma was now the confused one.

"What do you mean you, '_can't stop_'?"

"I just can't, okay? I've been planning this since the day they took you away in Somalia…"

"But it's okay now…you don't have to keep doing this anymore." She leaned forward slightly, trying to get him to look at her.

"Emma, I'm doing this for you! And Mom. I can _not _stop now. He…he _deserves _to be punished for letting them take you and Mom away from us," Lucas said in frustration, .

"You think I want this? You think I _want _you to be killing innocent people?" she pointed at the graves again, "You think I _want _you to destroy my home? And why the _hell _would I want you to kill off what I've got left of a family?"

"What about me?…You've got me," he said quietly, a hurt tone to his voice. "You could always come stay with me…" Lucas gave her a small shrug and smile as if to say, _'no big deal'. _

"Stay with you…?" she questioned, eyebrows arched.

"Yeah…" he said with a hopeful smile, "When I go back to 2150. You could come with me."

It didn't take very long for him to realize he'd said the wrong thing _again. _

"Are you an _idiot_?" she said under her breath as she glared at her brother.

"What?"

Emma shook her head. "I mean… are you kidding me?" she half-laughed. She frowned in disapproval when he shook his head slowly. "You seriously think that if you destroyed Terra Nova, killed our father and whatever it is you plan on doing with the rest of the people, that I'd actually want to live with you? And in 2150? Why would I want to live in a place like that?" Emma stood up, glaring down at Lucas. Maybe Skye was right after all. It was like he couldn't even think logically, his brain was so clouded with his revenge fantasies.

"Wait! Emma!" he reached out to grab her wrist tightly, not even noticing when she winced in pain. "I'm doing this for you! I know you don't see it now, but he needs to know how I felt 11 years ago, how you must've felt…how Mom felt…" His eyes were pleading, making Emma's brow cinch together as she tried to hold back the tears again.

"Let. Me. Go," she said slowly as she tugged at his grasp, though it did not loosen.

"_Please, _Em. I want you to help me with this! You know I'm right, Emma, don't you?" His grip tightened, though he didn't notice, eliciting a small gasp from Emma.

"No!" she shrieked, quickly yanking her arm away, stumbling back a little. Lucas stared at her as if he were unsure why she was upset. How could he even ask that? How could he expect her to help him with such a horrible deed? "I will _not _help you…_ever_! Do you hear me?" Her brother's mouth was slightly agape as he tried to hold back his own anger.

Lucas stood up finally, towering over her. "Em -" He reached his hand out towards her but she quickly swatted it away.

"Shut up!" she snapped. "This…this war you have with Dad…is some _sick _need of yours. _Your _obsession! I don't want any part of it."

"My obsession." A dark smirk played at the corner of his lips as he stared at her, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Yes, I uh, I suppose it is…"

Emma gave him a look of disbelief. "You're just like them," she hissed, angry at him for acting like this was some sort of joke, "…those rebels back in Somalia. You don't give a shit who gets hurt as long as you accomplish this ridiculous plan of revenge! You are doing the same thing they did. _You are just like them._" And suddenly she was reeling backwards, falling back onto the ground, the side of her cheek red and burning. She clasped her hand over it, eyes wide and watering from the pain, a small sob escaped her lips. _He wouldn't hurt me. He's my brother. _Her words to Skye repeated over and over in her mind.

Lucas's eyes widened in horror as he realized what he had done. He looked down at his little sister who sat on the ground, one arm behind her, propping her up, the other hand holding her cheek where no doubt a large bruise would be forming soon enough. She was shaking, staring up at him. He hadn't even realized how hard he had hit her till she fell. Why did his anger always get the best of him, make him do unthinkable things?

"Emma, I'm am _so _sorry!" He quickly moved forward, only to have her quickly scoot away, fear wild in her hazel eyes. He stood a little ways away from her, knowing he couldn't get any closer. "I'm so sorry…I-I…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry."

Her throat felt dry, making it difficult to speak. She shook her head as she scooted back again before attempting to get up. Her legs wobbled beneath her as she struggled to keep her balance. Her mind was whirring and the pain in her cheek was intense. It felt more like he had punched her then slapped her. Lucas moved forward to try to help her but she moved away again. "_Don't…_don't touch me!" she snapped. "In fact, just stay the hell away from me."

She usually would've felt terrible for saying something like that, but at the moment, her anger was overwhelming her. She was angry at him for what he did and for his ridiculous ideas. But most of all, she was furious at herself for thinking she could change his mind. Lucas was a lost cause, he wasn't going to listen to her, he wasn't going to listen _anyone_.

He walked forward again, advancing faster than she could retreat. She stopped suddenly, pulling the knife out and pointing it at him. "I said stay away from me…_please_," she begged, her hand shaking violently.

"Emma…put the knife down. I didn't mean to hurt you…you know that I wouldn't…I wouldn't hurt you on purpose. I really am sorry," he said in desperation.

"So am I…for thinking for a _second _I could get my big brother back," she whispered sadly, putting the knife back swiftly before turning to walk away.

Lucas made no move to stop her, the pain filling up in his chest grounded him to the spot. He watched as Emma's fast pace turned into a sprint, as she headed back to Terra Nova. What had he done? He only wanted to make things right, but all he had done was make them worse. _But that's what I do, right? _he thought. _I screw things up. _He turned, kicked at the ground angrily, then at the nearest grave stone, oblivious to the pain. He gripped his hair violently, angry tears spilling from his eyes. "_Fuck!_"he shouted angrily. "_God DAMN IT_!"

Emma listened to Lucas's angry swearing as she leaned back against a tree at the edge of the jungle, not that far off. She had quickly found that she didn't have the energy to run all the way back. The tears poured down her cheeks as she hugged her legs close to her chest, laying her forehead down on her knees. The sobs shook her as she let herself cry, ignoring the pain on her cheek, focusing on the pain building in her chest. All she had wanted was her brother back, but all she had done was push him farther away. _But that's what I do right? _she thought bitterly as she bit her lip, trying to quiet her sobs. _I screw things up. _

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><p><strong>AN: **I was writing this while laying on my bed, and saying over and over, this isn't fairrrrrrrr, they just wanted to fix things and it got worse! ...And I'm the one doing this to them... lol jeez

Well review pwease :) Love to hear your thoughts and opinions

oh and you should follow me on tumblr if you have one, considermeflawed(.)tumblr(.)com and my new ashley zukerman one hehe ashzukerman(.)tumblr(.)com


	20. Drinks and Secrets Don't Mix

**A/N: **omg finallyyy posting ch. 20! And wow! 101 reviews! I never thought I'd even reach 50 aha. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, you guys! *hugs* oh and sorry about some of the weird spacing, hates me today and i had to copy & paste this onto an already uploaded file and the spacing got weird and i couldn't fix it :(

i wrote about half of this on the road to LA last weekend, and some this week. lots of testing so i didn't have a whole lot of time, it was like write a paragraph a day ha

well i'd really like to thank Morgan for helping me edit this chapter :) check out her most recent TN fic, **As We Go**, http:/www(.)fanfiction(.)net/s/7695559/1/As_We_Go

Some other stories that I've been reading that are great are, **Consequences and Changes **by **DarkAngel1227 **and **Sprains and Strains **by **Miss Junie**

well to the story now :) hope u like it, and be sure to review and let me know what you think!

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><p>Emma cautiously crawled under the towering gates and back into the safety of Terra Nova. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheek was becoming discolored and a swollen. It still hurt, but her mind was too numb for her to really notice. She could barely think, let alone hear Skye calling her name from her hiding spot between the storage containers. Her brain just kept playing that moment over and over. She had snapped at Lucas, seen the crazed anger flash in his jade green eyes, then felt the back of his hand strike the side of her face, sending her reeling, pain shooting through her cheek.<p>

She didn't understand what had happened. It was like he'd just…_snapped. _Yes, she knew she had really been pushing her luck when she mentioned the rebels, telling him he was no different from the men who tore their family apart, but she had still been very much under the impression that he would never hurt her. He'd done a wonderful job of proving her wrong in just a few seconds.

"Emma!" Skye's strained voice yanked her from her thoughts. Emma shook her head, blinking rapidly as she did her best to focus on her surroundings. Skye approached her warily, eyeing her most recent bruise.

"Oh my God…What the hell happened?" Skye gaped at her when she got a better view of the girl's cheek.

"Lucas…uh, he got mad...hit me…" Emma watched as a look of blatant surprise came over Skye. "He's not going to give up his plans," she glowered at the spy's pitiful expression, "…Aren't you gonna say, 'I told you so'?" She grumbled in annoyance.

Skye shook her head in response. "Are you alright? Maybe we should go see Dr. Shannon." She suggested.

"So she can tell me I have a bruise? So I can tell her I went OTG alone again and Lucas hit me? So she can tell my father? Great idea!"

Skye frowned at her snappy comment. "Fine, I was just trying to help," she looked behind her in the direction of the Command Center nervously, "I uh, I met up with Curran again yesterday…we were discussing some possible routes…" she paused when she became aware of Emma's distracted expression.

"Are you still…are you still going to help me with you know…" her voice trailed off as she watched Emma, wanting to kick herself for even asking, terrified that she might have had a change of heart.

Emma nodded half heartedly. "Yeah…I said I would. Can we...talk later though? I really just want to get home and sleep…" She lazily pulled her hair to the left side, hoping to conceal her cheek as well as possible.

Skye nodded as Emma began to walk towards the direction of her house, past the Command Center. "I-I'm sorry by the way…I should've gone with you...or something," she called after her.

"Nah, It wouldn't have changed anything. You were right, Skye. He's not going to stop working on those calculations, and he's sure as hell not going to listen to me. I don't even know why I tried." She shrugged nonchalantly, not really wanting to talk about it any longer. She needed a distraction.

"You wanted to believe that there was still some of the old Lucas in him… you can't beat yourself up for being hopeful. He's your brother…of course you were going to try to get through to him. It's amazing, some of the things we do for family sometimes. The point is that you tried. It's his problem that he wouldn't listen to you. I'm sure he'll regret it someday."

Emma nodded, her eyes flitted to the jungle behind Skye before moving back to her. "I guess it was worth a shot. Thanks, though, for helping me out. "

"What are you going to tell your dad?" Skye nodded towards her cheek. _Shit_. She hadn't really thought about that part. "I'll uh, I could tell him we had a sparring session and you hit hard..?"

"Sure, I'll cover for you if he asks me. I'll see you later? I can tell you more about my meeting with Curran then. We just talked about some possible routes to and from the camp. He said we should be able to do it in about a month or so."

"Alright..." She gave her a small smile before turning and heading towards her house.

She kept her head low, staring at the ground right in front of her. Her long, dark hair acted as a curtain, hiding the still-forming bruise on her face. She had no idea how bad it was, just that it hurt. Even with an alibi of a sort, she still didn't want anyone to see and get nosy. She was afraid that the way she kept replaying the day's earlier events would keep her from thinking clearly enough to sell the lie. It would sound unconvincing and she just knew she was in no state to try to put any effort into putting up an act.

As Emma grew closer to her house, safety from curious eyes only a few yards away, she heard someone call her name. A foolish grin lingered on her lips when she recognized the voice. She turned without thinking. When she saw Josh's face fall as he stared at the bruise, she realized her mistake.

He walked over quickly, looking down at her worriedly. "What happened?" His right hand gently cupped the left side of her face, his thumb just barely grazing the darkened skin. His blue eyes met hers, seeing a flicker of panic in her as she struggled to say something, but mistaking it for fear. "Did someone do this to you?"

"It's nothing…okay?" She took his hand away from her face.

"No, Emma. Tell me who did this…who hit you?" His tone was serious. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid.

"Yeah...Skye -"  
>"Skye hit you?" He asked incredulously.<p>

"In a sparring session…she didn't mean to, it's all good." Josh was a fairly protective person, but she was not in the mood for it right now. She glanced around, desperately looking for a good excuse to leave.

"I don't believe you." He said slowly. He could tell there was something off about her little story and the way she seemed so anxious. "Just tell me who hit you."

Emma gaped at him, dropping his hand. "You, you don't _believe _me?" She arched her eyebrows high in false disbelief. She felt terrible lying to him, but she didn't trust him to not tell his father if she told him the real truth.

"Look, I'm telling you the truth. If you don't believe me, go ask Skye," she said more harshly then intended.  
>Josh stared at her, wondering what could possibly have happened to put her in such a bad mood. She told him everything, why was she suddenly shutting him out. Particularly when it was about something as serious as someone hurting her. He watched as she walked away quickly.<p>

Emma had forced herself to leave him there, worried she might let the truth slip, out of guilt for leaving him out of the loop. As she entered the empty house, she realized she didn't want the same thing to happen with her father. Sure she could tell him the same lie, but chances were, if Josh could spot her fib, so could he. And he wouldn't give up so easily when it came to finding out what happened.

She quickly thought of an alternative place to go for the night, to give her some time to sort out her thoughts more, maybe come up with a better excuse. She grabbed a piece of paper from her room and walked out to the kitchen. _Dad, going to Avery Mace's house for a sleepover. - _she couldn't help but feel childish while using the word _sleepover, _but she was hoping for it to sound innocent, so it fit well - _See you tomorrow! Love you. -Emma._  
><em><br>_She scanned over it hurriedly, nodding to herself. _Good enough, _she thought as she stuck it to the fridge, then quickly going to pack a small bag. Not knowing when her father would be home, she left almost immediately, but knowing Avery would be home since she got off early on Fridays. Avery had given her an open invitation to come over whenever she wanted and hang out, so she simply hoped she was available tonight.

Emma made her way to her friend's house, relieved to not see anyone she knew. She was still feeling shaken, and being confronted by Josh hadn't helped that. She couldn't help but feel a bit vulnerable at the moment, and as she knocked on Avery's door, she found herself on the verge of tears once again.

Avery opened the door to see Emma Taylor standing there, a large bruise on her left cheek and her eyes glazed. She looked up at her slowly, her lip quivering a little. Avery's confused face faded to curiosity minutely, then to false concern.

"..Hi Emma…" She looked around Emma, as if she expected someone to be watching. "Are you okay?"  
>Emma folded her arms across her chest, shaking her head.<p>

"No, not really. Um…this is going to sound weird, but I was wondering…would it be alright if maybe I spent the night here?" Avery arched her eyebrows. "I just…don't really want to be at my house right now…"

Avery nodded, stepping aside to let Emma walk in. She shut the door, following the quiet girl over to the kitchen. She watched intently as Emma placed her backpack on the floor, taking a seat on a stool by the counter and staring down at it. Emma shifted uncomfortably, felt her friend's green eyes piercing into her, questions whirring through the air between them.

"What?" she mumbled innocently, looking up to meet Avery's gaze.

"I was just wondering, what happened with uh, you know…" she motioned at her cheek.

"I can't say…I'll just say I've had a shit day and leave it at that…" She shrugged, giving Avery a sad smile.

"Anything I should be concerned about? Is somebody hurting you?"

_Yes. I feel like my heart was ripped out along with any chance of getting my family back_, she thought. "No. It's nothing. I'd rather not talk about it."

Avery groaned internally. She could sense the girl had information she could use. Something she could tell Mira, to prove herself useful once again. She had to get it out of her somehow… She flashed a quick smile in Emma's direction, turning on her heels to walk to the counter by the fridge. She grabbed a tall, dark bottle then two glasses from the cupboard. She poured some of the amber colored drink into each cup, then slid one across the counter to Emma, who stared at it in confusion.

"Drink up!" Avery said cheerfully.

Emma stared at the drink blankly. "Avery…" she scoffed, "I'm only sixteen. I'm not old enough…and I'm _pretty sure, _you aren't either. You're supposed to be twenty-one to drink alcohol."

"So what?" She quickly tipped the cup back, downing the drink quickly, eliciting a loud cough as she put the cup down. She roughly pushed her fiery hair away from her face, laughing. Emma scoffed, stared at her friend incredulously. Avery nodded towards her drink.

"Your turn."

Emma shook her head, "No…I don't think so…" she gave a small laugh, pushing the drink farther away, towards Avery. Avery shoved it right back, causing some of the alcohol to spill over the side of the cup.

"C'mon. You need to loosen up, Em. It'll help, seriously. _Drink_," the girl urged, a mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "It doesn't matter how old we are. We're not in public!"

Emma cocked her head to the side, nodded slightly. "True…" she mumbled, dragging out the _u. _She hesitantly reached forward, grasping the cup and bringing it closer to her. After staring at it nervously for a moment, a smile broke out on her face. "_What the hell_," she laughed, tipping her head back as she brought the drink to her lips. The liquid seared down her throat, made it burn, causing her to cough wildly like Avery had, when she was done.

Avery's smirk became a full-on grin when the young girl held the cup forward, motioning for her to pour more into it. She quickly obliged, picking up the bottle and messily draining the bottle into each cup. Emma wasted no time in inhaling it, as her arm was outstretched once again only seconds later. Avery arched her eyebrows. _Kid likes her alcohol, _she thought in amusement. _She'll be talking in no time. _Avery wasn't worried about getting drunk herself. She'd always been able to hold her alcohol. She'd had a very high tolerance since her first drink when she was only fourteen.

Emma had never had a drink before, well not counting the few times as a child when her parents had offered her a small sip of wine which she had quickly spit out. But even as the burning made its way down her throat, she felt some sort of thrill, and at the same time, it calmed her. Every time her mind made its way back to her bruise, and Lucas, and Skye, and her father, she saw her arm out in front of her, Avery pouring her more. It washed away all the thoughts and burdens of the secrets she was holding. She couldn't stop.

Soon enough, the girls were in the living room, Avery sitting against the couch, full cup in her hand, Emma lying on the floor laughing hysterically as she attempted to sip the amber drink straight from the bottle. Most of it missed her mouth completely, slipping down the sides of her face into her hair and the carpet.

"Shit…" she muttered, wiping her face. She looked over at Avery, wondering how she could still be sitting up, and not already on the floor. "Want some…more?" Emma shoved her arm up at Avery, almost hitting her with the nearly empty bottle. Just as the red-head shook her head, Emma lost her grip on the bottle, causing it to land on the carpet, the sharp smell of scotch quickly filled the room as it seeped into the carpet. "Shit," she said again. "I'm _sorry!_"

Avery watched as the girl stared at the golden brown liquid slowly blend with the rug's other colors, an obvious stain forming. "I can clean that…" Emma attempted to stand, but quickly collapsed again, giggling momentarily.

"It's _fine_. Just leave it," Avery waved lazily, doing her best to sound and act drunk. She swallowed the rest of her drink, looked down at the girl, surprised at how vulnerable and weak she looked. Emma always had this sort of strength and independence that just radiated off of her. It was strange to see her in such a low state. Her lip quivered as soon as her drunken giggling ended.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to. It…the…drink, it _fell_," she opened and closed her fist slowly, mimicking the way she'd dropped it, "from my hand…and now it's messing up your…rug."

Emma roughly pulled the hair away from her face, fingers smearing her makeup, faint black streaks at the corner of her eyes. "Why do I keep messing things up?" her lip quivered as her eyes began to water. "_Everything. _The world _hates _me!"

Avery looked at the girl sceptically. What the hell was she talking about? What had she ever messed up? Besides making the mistake of telling her about the surveillance team, but it wasn't as if she knew that her "friend" was the one behind that. And '_the world hates me_'?

"What are you talking about, Emma?" she asked, placing her cup next to the forming stain.

Emma closed her eyes, gingerly letting her fingers graze the bruise. "I went…and saw…_my brother_," she slurred, frowning.

"What? How? When?" She questioned quickly.

Emma glanced at her, arching her eyebrows before continuing. "Today. It did _not _go very well," she laughed, pointing at her cheek, eyes closed again. "_I think Lucas has anger issues_," she whispered, grinning, not even remembering the seriousness of the situation.

_How the _hell _had she been able to contact Lucas? _Avery's brain screamed. "He…hit you?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

"'Cause he's got _anger issues_," Emma matter-of-factly, looking up at Avery, trying to hold back laughter as it built up inside of her.

_Jesus, she's really drunk_. "Did you tell anyone?"

"No! Silly! I would get in _trouble_," she mumbled. "But um…Skye? Yeah…Skye, I think, she knows." Emma reached forward to grab the empty bottle, attempting to get any remaining scotch out and into her mouth.

_Skye? _"She won't tell your dad?" Avery struggled hide her annoyance. "I thought you hated her…" She wasn't even bothering to act wasted anymore. Emma was too messed up to know the difference.

"Nah. We're sort of friends, maybe…" She twirled her guitar pick necklace in her fingers lazily. "But she won't tell…"

"How do you know?"

"Because, _I know something about her_," Emma whispered, looking around the room as if she expected someone else to be there. Avery waited. Emma scooted closer cupping her hands on each side of her mouth. "_She's a spyyyy_."  
><strong><br>**Avery stared at her in shock. Mostly because she was surprised that Emma actually knew. Emma however, took it for surprise at "finding out" the information. "Mhm. She like, sneaks out and stuff. And never gets caught!" she nodded, looking impressed. "She doesn't really help them much though. The Sixer people…er…_Mira_, she's got her _mom_. That's why Skye works for them. And Skye…_she _helped _me _see my brother because _I'm _going to help _her_," she explained, wildly gesticulating as if it would help prove some sort of point or make it easier to understand.

"Help her with _what_?" She could not believe how easy getting this information was!

"Get her mom _out _of that jungle…camp, Sixer camp thing…place."

Avery's eyes widened. "How the hell do you two plan on doing _that_?"

"Sh!" Emma said sharply, rubbing her throbbing temples. "Um…Skye…something about another spy -" Avery froze "- in the Sixer camp…is working for my _dad_. He's gonna help us? I don't really know."

"What's his name?" Avery stared at her intently.

"I dunno. What's with the intre…interrogation?" She grumbled, slowly getting to her feet, legs wobbling. "Do you have anything else to drink?"

"Yeah, yeah. Over there. Cupboard right next to the fridge…" she mumbled, watching as the Commander's daughter stumbled to the kitchen. _I was right_, she thought. _They _are _up to something. _Avery knew that this was something that could really help prove herself to Mira._I have to stop them._


	21. I'm Done

finally here's chapter 21 :D

i was going to post last night, but i got "grounded" for "bad attitude" lol -_-

**Shoutouts: **check out, **TNSN: Terra Nova Social Network **by **eb****i pers **(I have never laughed soo hard!)

and maybe check out my first Lucket oneshot, **Alone**? :)

i should be able to update more next week, it's spring break so I won't have to worry about homework (:

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><p>Lucas sighed as he slowly approached the Sixer camp, it's inhabitants how in view. He ran his fingers through his hair, wondering if Mira would be curious to know where he'd been for the past day and a half, when he was supposed to be there. He hoped she wouldn't. he was in no mood to have to explain himself.<p>

The first day, he had wandered the jungle for hours after he had calmed down and stopped kicking the grave stones. He spent that night in the same shelter he had brought Emma to after her run in with the Slasher. He wasn't sure why he went there, it only made him think about her more. The next morning, Lucas sat at Snakehead Falls, staring at his work on the rocks. The equations, the diagrams, they meant nothing now. All he could see was the confusing writing, but it made no sense. He wanted it all to simply disappear. But it didn't. it stayed, taunted him, the same way it did for his father.

When he sat there, he didn't even care that his father could show up at any moment. He didn't even have his sonic to protect himself. In fact, he almost hoped that his father would catch him, arrest him, and take him to Terra Nova. Or better yet, just shoot him. End it already. He was so _sick _of feeling like a failure all the time. And he couldn't for the life of him, get Emma's face out of his mind. Her expression when she had stared up at him in _fear, _haunted him. He was sure he was really going crazy.

Lucas silently headed for his tree house, a dazed expression on his face. As he strode through the camp, he did his best to ignore the curious stares and anxious whispers. He was very much aware that he looked more deranged than usual. But he couldn't find the energy to glare at the tribal people around him, even as their painted face bore into his back.

He stopped at the base of a large tree, grasping the rope that hung in front of him and placing one foot in a small loop at the bottom of it. Lucas gave it a swift tug and was promptly hauled up to a wide balcony.

After giving the Sixer that had pulled him up a quick nod, he carefully walked across the long, shaky bridge that led to a single treehouse. As he stood just outside the door, his breathing was shallow. He debated about entering or not. He was desperate to sleep in his own bed once again, but not wanting to see more of his damned equations that were the reason behind his sister hating him.

_Just go in, _he told himself_, it's just a room. Ignore the equations. You're just going to get some sleep. _

After a while, he groaned in defeat, knowing he couldn't stand out there forever, staring at his hut. He pushed the dirty curtain that served as a door, aside, stepping into the dimly lit room. He walked farther in, placing his bag on the edge of his cot before sitting down beside it.

He dropped his head into his hands, massaging his temples as his head continued to throb.

"What am I doing?" he muttered.

He slid his hands over his face as he looked up, stopping at his cheeks. His eyes became fixated on the large, glass bottle on the small table in the far corner of the room. It was dusty, hadn't been touched in a while.

Lucas stood slowly, walking to the table and hesitantly reaching out to pick up the bottle. He turned it in his hands, watching as the liquid splashed against the edges. He hadn't drank any of it since Emma had arrived, wanting his mind to be as clear as possible. Not that it worked apparently.

His eyes were still glazed over as he messily poured the drink into a cup, downing it in seconds. It burned his throat, and he coughed as he placed his cup next to the open bottle. For a few short seconds, the pain inside him seemed to vanish. When it came back he poured himself some more. Before he even realized it, more then half the bottle was empty. But the pain was dulled, and that was all he cared about.

He stumbled to his desk, alcohol spilling out of his cup and onto the floor and some scattered papers. He looked down at the ruined equations, shrugging quickly before continuing on. He slammed the cup down on the edge of the desk, trying to regain his balance. More of the drink spilled onto his most recent calculations, soaking them the thoroughly.

"Woops…" he mumbled, dabbing at the papers with the edge of his shirt, not seeming to grasp the fact that they were ruined; there was no saving them.

His eyes widened when he finally realized what he had done, and which papers he had just destroyed. These equations, he had been working on them for months, they were the last ones. He had been so close to finishing, and in seconds had knocked himself back at least a month or two.

"Damn it," he growled, throwing the soggy papers onto the floor angrily. He glared down at them. "I was so close to going back. So _close _to getting out of this hell hole!"

He wasn't even sure his words were true. Did he really want to go back? Why would he want to go back to a dying word anyways? Maybe Emma had actually made some sense there. The thought though, of possibly changing his mind, frustrated him. He kicked the papers, sent them flying around the room as if they were confetti. As he watched them float to the ground, he couldn't help but feel a sort of satisfaction in seeing the calculations on the papers become as meaningless as the ones on the rocks. Caught in the rush, the anger overwhelming him, he swung his foot out, kicking a small table covered in his math and science tools, and sending it flying. Lucas kicked at the items on the floor around him, some of them falling through gaps and down to the forest floor. Someone shouted from far below him. He ignored it, his attention averting the calculations surrounding him. He reached up, grabbing a handful of them and ripped the papers from the walls.

_You have to stop this. It's crazy. _Lucas was snapped out of his rage when his sister's words found their way back to him. _Just stay the hell away from me. You are just like them. _

"Shut up!" he found himself shouting, kicking the side of his cot. "I _want _to stop!"

"_Lucas!_"

He whipped around, stumbling back. Mira stood in his doorway, Carter behind her. She stared at him incredulously, then at his room that looked as if a tornado had hit it. Lucas glared at the Sixers with crazed eyes.

"What the _hell_, Lucas? What are you doing?" she snapped, head cocked to the side.

He looked at her, then around at the room he had just trashed, then shook his head. Mira arched her eyebrows in annoyance. Carter remained silent in the background. They watched as Lucas silently began to pick up the scattered papers and items around his room, shoving them onto the table he had kicked after he put it back where it belonged.

"Lucas," she said again, irritated by the silence. "What's going on?"

He glared down at the sodden papers, up at Mira, then back at what should've been the last of the calculations.

"Did something go wrong…with the portal calculations?" she questioned nervously, feeling panicked.

"She hates me," he half-laughed.

"Who are you talking about?"

"_Emma. _My sister," he said slowly. "_She hates me._"

"Why would she hate you?" She had no idea how to respond to what he was saying. She knew asking why was a stupid question, of course they all knew _why_. But she had nothing else to say.

"This."

He waved his arms around, gesturing to the papers that covered the walls and ceiling around him.

"She wanted me to stop. We got in an argument and now she hates me," he slurred.

"Wait, _when_ did you see your sister?"

"Yesterday…she wanted to talk, so we talked. And it didn't turn out well"-He frowned-"She might have a point though…" he muttered, mostly to himself.

"What do you mean?"

Lucas grabbed his cup, slowly drinking the rest of it's contents. He was going to need a lot of guts to say what he was about to.

"I don't want to do it anymore," he told her, quietly.

She stared at him in shock. He _couldn't _be serious. He couldn't just, decide to _give up_. Not after she had spent three God damn _years _in this jungle. Not when her daughter was still waiting for her in the future.

"_What?_"

"I'm done," he said, loudly this time.

Mira gaped at him. "You can't just…be 'done,' Lucas," she said slowly.

"And why not?" he asked, walking to the table to pour himself more. He watched her, his green eyes darkening.

"How do you expect us to get back to 2150 if you just _stop _working on the fracture's calculations?"

Lucas shrugged. "Not my problem. I'm not doing it."

Mira was fuming. "You expect us to just live in the jungle for the rest of our lives? We're barely surviving as it is!"

He shrugged again, pouring more of the drink into his cup, frowning when he realized the bottle was now empty. "_I'm _doing fine."

"Your sister doesn't hate you because of your _work_, she hates you because you're a selfish bastard. You _really _don't give a _shit _about anyone, do you?" she snapped, fed up with his condescending attitude.

His head snapped up, remembering Emma's similar words. _You don't give a shit who gets hurt, as long as you accomplish this ridiculous plan of revenge. You are doing the same thing they did. You are just like them. _

"Shut up," he growled. "You don't know anything about me, or my fam- sister. I'm not continuing with these damned calculations anymore, and that's that."

"What about my daughter?" Mira murmured, not intending for anyone else to hear.

"I don't really care about your daughter. I am _not _opening the portal," Lucas snapped at her.

He tossed the empty cup into a corner of the room then walked forward towards the door. When he tried to exit, Mira quickly put her hand up against his chest, then shoving him backwards. Being unstable already, he toppled over.

"_What the hell was that?_" he yelled, quickly getting to his feet.

Mira said nothing as she glowered at him.

"Let me through," he ordered, trying to exit, only to be pushed back once again.

"Mira," he chuckled darkly, "I think you've forgotten. _You _work for _me_. Now _get the fuck out of my way._"

"No."

"_No?_" Lucas arched his eyebrows. Since when the hell did she stand up to him?

Carter stood awkwardly behind Mira still, unsure which side to take in all of this. Sure he'd like to be paid by their employers…but he had also grown to like this place. Maybe he didn't want the fracture opened either. He couldn't decide which was worse, angering Lucas or defying Mira.

"You heard me. _No_." Mira folded her arms over her chest, showing no signs of backing down. She wasn't afraid of him, she never had been. The only reason she went along with his crazy personality, was because she had no intentions of screwing up her chances of seeing Sienna again. But now, for the first time, standing up to him and showing him that he didn't have the upper hand for once, would work to her advantage.

"Mira, I don't care about you or your Sixers. I care about Emma. I am not letting the Phoenix Group come here and strip mine this place and kill all of those innocent people!"

"Since when was there talk about _killing _them? The resources this place has, will go back to 2150 to the people that actually need it. What the hell has gotten into you? You didn't even give a rat's ass about Terra Nova four months ago! You couldn't _wait _to see your father's paradise fall apart. And now what? You're going to drop everything because you're afraid your teenage sister might hate you?"

"What, you think the Phoenix Group is just going to leave all of those colonists alone? If they _do _let them live, the colony will be under their control. And what makes you think they'll keep their promises once they have Terra Nova? Maybe…maybe Emma, has just gotten me to realize the reality of this," Lucas said as calmly as possible.

Mira shook her head, her brow was furrowed deeply.

"I have to believe they're telling the truth and that they will stick to our arrangements. It's the only way I'll be able to see my daughter again, and that is _all _that I care about."

"Well good luck finding someone to help you, because like I said, I'm done."

"I beg to differ."

Lucas's brow furrowed at the dangerous glint in Mira's eyes. He suddenly couldn't help but feel anxious.

"You see, if you don't continue with the calculations to make the fracture go both ways," she said slowly, "I think, dear _Emma _will have to pay the price for your decision."

His eyes widened. "You wouldn't…" His voice was low, menacing.

"Oh, but I would. Skye isn't our only spy in Terra Nova, but you know that . Our other one though, works for us more willingly than Skye, she _wants _to help us. And she would do _anything _that _I _asked her to do."

Lucas continued to stare at her, unable to hide the panic and anger that was quickly becoming evident on his face.

"She's just a kid…"

"So is Sienna. And I would do anything to protect her, as you would do anything to protect your sister, right?"

Lucas nodded, his whole body felt numb. He never had imagined that Emma would be used against him. Or that Mira would be the one doing it. He had thought his father would've tried something, _that _he would've seen coming. Mira had never been a threat to him before.

"Well then I suggest you _get working. _Don't even doubt for a second, if you try anything, I will not _hesitate _to _kill _her," Mira warned. "Do you understand?"

Lucas nodded again.

"Fine. But if you so much as lay a _finger _on her, _I _will not hesitate to kill _you_," he sneered bravely.

"Don't worry, stay focused and I'm sure _Emma _will have _nothing _to fear."

She smirked at him, knowing she finally had the upper hand, then walked out the door.

Lucas stared after her, frustration building up inside of him. He turned to walk to his desk, glanced down at the mess of papers before swiping his hand across the surface, throwing everything to the floor. He leaned against the cleared desk minutely, trying to catch his breath before slumping into his chair.

"I'm so sorry, Em."

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><p>R&amp;R pweaseee :D<p> 


	22. She Knows

**A/N: **I have no good excuse for my super long absence besides, Writer's Block, aka a writer's worst enemy :( But I took a break, wrote some other stuff like my new oneshot series, _**Yours, Mine, and Ours**(which you should read and review by the way!)_, and then I felt ready to try to get back to this. Don't worry, I'm not going to discontinue this or anything. I will finish it for sure! IDK when I'll be able to update next because it's almost the end of the school year and I have lots of testing and projects coming up that I need to prepare for

and yeah, similar title to the chapter, I Know, but it's a similar theme I guess you could say?

So, enough chit-chat, to the story! :)

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><p>Emma slowly pushed herself up off the floor, cringing as the bright sunlight hit her face. She moaned quietly, wiping her hands across her face. She sat up and leaned against the back of the couch, finding she could only move a little at a time. Her body ached - probably as a result of passing out on the floor - and her head was beginning to throb violently. She gingerly touched her bruised cheek, pleased that the swelling had gone down tremendously. Hopefully that would keep the questions and speculations to a minimum. She shook her head in an attempt to wake herself up more. Everything seemed so hazy.<p>

When she finally looked around, taking some time to remember she was at Avery's house. The smell of scotch and vodka lingered in the air, and the bottle she had dropped the night before, still lay by the couch untouched. She swung her head around in search of her friend. Spotting the red-head in the kitchen, she stood up and made her way over.

"Mornin'," Emma muttered as she sat down on a tall stool beside Avery, laying her head down on the cool counter.

"Hey." Avery quickly turned off her plex that she had been staring at, as if she didn't want Emma to see what she had been doing.

"How are you even _awake?_" Emma groaned, turning her head so her forehead rested on her arms, facing the surface of the grey countertop.

Avery stood up and walked into the kitchen, not answering Emma's question.

"First time drinking?" she laughed as she poured coffee into matching green and white striped mugs. She placed on in front of Emma before sitting back in her seat.

The smell of the warm drink lifted the hung-over girl's head from it's makeshift "pillow." She carefully grasped it with two hands, binging it to her mouth.

"Mmm…" she sighed, sipping the coffee as the migraine dulled.

"Coffee is your best friend when you're drunk or have a hangover," Avery joked, watching as Emma drank her coffee almost as fast as she had downed that second bottle of scotch.

She seemed to be feeling better, but she still looked like shit. Her bruise, courtesy of her brother, wasn't swollen anymore, and wasn't as dark, but it was still there. There were dark circles under her bloodshot, hazel eyes. Emma's face was paled, and overall, she appeared to be physically and emotionally exhausted.

Avery almost felt sorry for her. _Almost. _

"How are you feeling?" Avery questioned with faux concern as she passed her a small bowl of fruit that had been sitting by the sink.

Emma shrugged lazily, staring blankly at the food; empty cup in hand.

"Eat," the red-head ordered, pointing at the bowl, "you'll probably feel better once you have something in your stomach."

The girl nodded, picking up a small slice of some sort of squishy, orange fruit. As the strange food slipped down her throat, she recalled how she felt when she tried to eat a strawberry on her second day, suddenly getting the urge to gag. She wasn't hungry at all, but Avery had been right. Once the food hit her stomach, she felt at least a tad better.

"I am _never _drinking again!" she vowed, wincing when the sun shifted and light shone through the window onto her face. She rubbed the sides of her head as the headache resurfaced. "_Fuck_…is my head supposed to hurt this badly?"

Avery chuckled. "Yeah. Sounds like a normal hangover to me…"

Emma glanced up at her friend, semi-amused, despite the pounding pain in her skull.

"…And not drinking again is probably best. You um, talk _a lot_."

Emma's head snapped up; she stared intently at Avery, her small smile replaced by a tight line. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously, beginning to fiddle with her guitar pick necklace, nervously.

"Uh, just that…" Avery paused, "you said, you told me some stuff…" Her green eyes flitted away momentarily, while Emma's grew wide.

"Wh-what did I say?" she stuttered.

"You were drunk, Em. I'm sure you didn't really mean any of it."

"Tell me…"

"I don't th-"

"What. Did. I. Say?" She did her best to keep her voice steady, but it was hard. She had countless secrets - she was surprised she could keep track of them all. Which ones had she maybe let slip to Avery?

Avery stared at her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Emma leaning forward with a semi-terrified expression. She couldn't help but feel clever in her methods of getting that information that was scaring the wits out of the Commander's daughter. It made her feel almost, _powerful. _

"You told me how you go that bruise." Avery quickly pointed at Emma's darkened cheekbone, watching as her eyes grew wider and her mouth opened slightly.

"I…I did?"

Avery nodded.

"Oh my God…" she murmured, her lip quivering slightly. "_Oh my God._"

"Are you going to tell my dad?" she whispered.

Avery shook her head. "No. Not my secret to tell," she explained, "Besides, people would only want to know how you got in touch with him, and I think things would only get…messy."

Emma cocked her head to the side.

"Why…?"

"Well…I don't think it would turn out well for you, or Lucas, or _Skye_, once your father found out _she _was…is the Sixer spy."

Emma's jaw dropped. _Shit, _she thought, _Oh, shit. _

"I told you _that?_"

"Yeah…I really didn't see that coming either…_Skye Tate_, a _spy?_ A _traitor? _She's _very _convincing," Avery nodded in approval, as if she were impressed.

Her mouth went dry as Avery spoke. How the hell had she been stupid enough to get drunk when she had so many things to hide? And now someone else knew Skye's secret.

"But I guess it makes sense, right? I mean if those people have her mom. I think Commander Taylor will take it easy on her when he finds out why she's help them." Avery shrugged nonchalantly.

"When he finds out? Are you going to tell him?"

"_No_, I just said that I wasn't going to say anything. About your brother or Skye. But he's going to find out sooner or later, Emma."

"Why do you say that?" she mumbled, feeling more stressed than she had the day before. What would Skye say when she found out that she hadn't kept her secret - her _big _secret.

"Well, if you're going to get her mom out of there, I'm guessing you're bringing her here right?" Avery asked, pulling the bowl of fruit towards herself. "And how else will you explain her mom just showing up in Terra Nova?"

"Oh…yeah…"

"Wait, why hasn't your dad's other spy, the one at the camp…why hasn't he told him about Skye being the mole? Why is he going to help a traitor? Why are _you _helping her?"

_Jesus Christ, _she thought, _Did I tell her everything? _

"I don't know."

"Hm."

"I should um, probably go…my dad's going to wonder where I am…"

"You didn't tell him?"

"Well no, I did. I mean, it's just, er…it's already noon. And I have to go do stuff," Emma said quickly as she slid off the stool.

Avery arched her eyebrows, watching as Emma quickly grabbed her small bag that she had brought with her and headed for the door. She was really rushing. _Probably to go warn her little friend_, she thought.

"Okay…bye?" she gave her a quick wave.

"Bye, thanks for letting me spend the night, and for um, not telling anyone…"

Avery nodded. "See ya."

"Yeah."

Emma rushed out of the house, lightly jogging back to home, not even caring that she probably looked as terrible as she felt. _You can trust Avery, _she told herself once she had reached her house. _She won't tell anyone. She's a good friend. _

She ran into her room as soon as she got inside, tossing her bag onto her unmade bed. She hurriedly grabbed a towel and some clean clothes. She needed to get cleaned up before she went anywhere else. As she made her way to the bathroom, she heard someone walk into the living room behind her.

"Emma?" her father asked. "When did you get home?"

_Shit_.

"Uh, just now," she said quickly, not turning around. "Just going to take a shower."

"Okay…" he replied slowly, sounding suspicious, "I'm actually heading out, but I should be back by dinner."

Emma nodded, ignoring his tone and stepping into the bright bathroom without another word.

Once the door was shut, she was able to calm down a little. She turned on the water; thick steam quickly filling the room like a sauna. She let the fog roll over her as she quickly stripped off her clothes and stepped into the hot water, her skin quickly turning red. As she stood there, she found herself mentally kicking herself for every single stupid mistake she'd made over the past twenty-four hours. Meeting with Lucas, arguing with him, turning around when Josh had called her name, going to Avery's and getting drunk, telling Avery about Skye's secret. She allowed the water to burn her until there was no more, and it became ice cold.

After she finally got out, she still felt as hung-over as before. Her head still hurt, her body was still sore, and her mind felt dazed. Emma wiped her hand over the mirror in a circular motion until she could see her face clearly. At least she _looked _better. She pulled on her clothes and dried her hair before walking out. Of course, her dad was already gone, helping her to relax more. She'd have plenty of time to go talk to Skye. Still being photosensitive, she hastily put on her sunglasses before leaving.

Emma took her time heading to Skye's house, stress about the situation welling up inside of her. A couple of weeks ago, she wouldn't have cared at all about betraying Skye, but lately, she had started to become a friend. After they had agreed to work together and while waiting for her to be able to get in contact with Lucas to arrange a meeting between the siblings - he hadn't been at the Sixer camp when she had gone the first couple times - they had begun to hang out a lot. They would start out by discussing the plan and going over details, like how they were going to get their hands on a rover, then suddenly find themselves talking about their families. They had both lost one parent and were somewhat distant with the other. The two girls each had secrets, and a lot to lose.

When Emma arrived at Skye's place, her friend was just walking out.

"Skye!" she called, waving.

She turned, smiled upon seeing her friend but her brow quickly furrowed when she saw her sunglasses - especially since it wasn't even that sunny out.

"Hey, Emma. I was actually just about to go look for you…what's with the sunglasses?" She pointed to the large, dark shades that shielded her eyes.

"Oh, um…" Emma gingerly removed the sunglasses, revealing her slightly bloodshot eyes. "Didn't feel like getting asked about this too."

Choosing not to ask about that, Skye eyed her faded bruise.

"Did your dad ask you about that?"

"No," Emma answered, combing her fingers through her hair and pushing her side-bangs away from her face. "Josh and Avery did though, sort of."

"What'd Josh say?"

"Well, he didn't believe that I got hurt during a spar session." She rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "I have no idea why though."

"Hm…and Avery?"

Emma hesitated, her eyes flitting to the ground and Skye's house quickly as she struggled to speak.

"That's um, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Avery ran up.

"Oh good! You guys are talking? So everything's good? You told her that I know?" the girl said hurriedly, "Because, well, I'd like to help!"

Emma gaped at her. Confusion and shock spread over Skye and Emma's faces and they tried to take in what Avery had said.

_Are you kidding me? _Emma's mind screamed.

"Avery, now's _really _not a good time," she began, but was quickly cut off.

"What are you talking about…?" Skye frowned. "What do you know? Help with _what?_" She turned to Emma. "What is she talking about?"

"We…we were _drunk_, Skye. I swear I didn't mean to say anything. It just…came out," she said quickly, eyebrows knitting together as she grew frustrated with herself again.

Skye straightened up, folding her arms over her chest. She glanced around nervously before fixing her gaze on Emma.

"What happened? _What _did you say, exactly?"

Avery stood beside Emma, fidgeting while watching the awkward exchange.

"Oh, sorry," she said innocently, "I figured you'd already told her."

"I…-" Emma looked over at Avery, then at the ground. "- I told her you're the spy," she whispered.

Silence.

After a long pause, hearing nothing from Skye, Emma finally looked up. For some reason she had expected for her friend to storm off. But Skye hadn't budged; she simply stared at the ground, mouth slightly agape. Emma could see that she was shaking a little, from being angry or scared she wasn't sure.

"Skye?"

Skye gritted her teeth, her face hardening minutely before it softened once again.

"Maybe I should go…" Avery piped up, hesitantly backing away. She wanted to see how everything would unfold between the two, but she wasn't sure it would be a good idea to be "on the front lines" if something happened.

"No." Skye shook her head, lifting her head to look at the two girls in front of her, arms tightly folded over her chest. "Emma, it's fine, okay? It's not like you meant to."

Emma's brow furrowed as she and Avery exchanged confused glances.

"What? You said you wanted to help, didn't you?" Skye shrugged, appearing surprisingly calm for what Emma had just admitted.

"Um…yeah," Avery stuttered.

"And you're not going to tell anyone, right?" Skye's voice faltered slightly, her eyes were almost pleading.

"Of course I won't. You're Emma's friend, so I would _never _betray you," Avery replied, though neither Skye nor Emma could hear the deception behind her words.

"_Skye_," Emma muttered, stepping closer.

"Emma," Skye copied her tone, more quietly though. "You've heard the plan. It's not going to be exactly _easy. _You trust her, right?"

Emma gave Avery a quick look and smile before pulling Skye away.

"One second."

Avery nodded, crossing her arms and looking around at passing colonists, feeling impatient. She hadn't really meant to get involved; she just wanted to shake things up. She had known that Emma hadn't told her that she knew, in fact she was surprised to find that she had been about to. _Nice timing, _she thought.

"You trust her, don't you?" Skye repeated. She had to. _They _had to.

"Well, _yeah. _But…" Emma struggled to come up with an excuse to allow Avery to assist them.

"She wants to help."

"I know."

"Then _what?_"

Emma couldn't understand why Skye seemed so desperate for a third person, for Avery to help them. She was perfectly convinced they could do it on their own. Skye waited patiently.

"I don't know."

Skye nodded. "So it's decided?"

"I guess so," Emma replied. It really wasn't her choice, to decide who helped with the plan to get Skye's mother out.

Skye walked past her and up to Avery. The taller red-head stared down at her with a blank expression.

"So, you were saying that you wanted to help?"

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><p>As always, I enjoy hearing your thoughts :)<p>

Make sure to go check out my new oneshot series, **Yours, Mine, and Ours** which should be next updated this weekend(:


	23. Understanding the Lies

Here's chapter 23 :) Sorry for all of these delays in posting, lots of stuff going on at school lately! If you haven't already, you should check out my new oneshot series, **Yours, Mine, and Ours** :)

Make sure to also take a look at **The Man From Snakehead Falls **by **Emtheunicorn **and **Help Me Through the Bad **by **FallenSurvivor** (for every 5 reviews on HMTB, the author is donating $5 to a non-profit orginization called Love 146. They help prevent child sex slaves and rehabilitate those they find/rescue.)

so on to the story, it's a bit short, but sort of a filler chapter and thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, favoriting, and doing the alerts for this story! It means a lot to me and it's what keeps me writing :)

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><p>Emma slowly walked into her house, feeling more exhausted than she had ever been in her entire life. It had been a long, fairly eventful day. She went straight to her room, deciding it was better to change into clean clothes before her father asked about the dirty ones she wore. Lazily, she threw on a pair of pajama pants and an old t-shirt. She pulled her hair up in to a loose bun before collapsing onto her bed, letting her eyes flutter shut.<p>

She awoke from her small nap when her father peeked into her room to let her know that dinner was ready.

"Are you feeling okay?" her father asked as they ate, noting her unusually pale complexion.

"Mhm." Emma nodded.

"Alright…"

Emma wasn't sure if it was just her, but he never seemed to be fully convinced by her excuses and lies. Part of him could always see right through them, and he never called her out on it. But nevertheless it made her feel uncomfortable, like she should just tell him.

"So what did you do at Avery's last night?" he asked, continuing to eat.

Emma choked minutely, catching her father's attention. He arched his eyebrows.

"Uh, you know, not much…" she said after clearing her throat, keeping her eyes on her plate. "We just watched some scary movies and stuff."

"Sounds fun…What did you do today? I think I saw you with Skye and Avery."

"Um…"

_Not long after deciding that Avery would help them on their mission to get Skye's mom out of the Sixer camp, Skye told them that she had been looking for Emma because her "contact" had contacted her again and wanted to meet today. Emma had been kind of excited to finally meet this Terra Nova spy that was going to be assisting them. Avery asked if she could join because she too wanted to meet this person. Skye of course, had said yes. _

_ They went back to Skye's place so she could get her sonic and some other things they might need. Apparently they weren't just meeting right outside the gates this time, they were going to be meeting about halfway to Snakehead Falls. Skye threw the gun, her father's old combat knife (she would probably give it to Emma to hold onto once they were OTG) , her plex, some food, and a couple canteens filled to the brim with water. Emma had borrowed a pair of old tennis shoes after Avery pointed out that she probably wouldn't want to walk very far in her sandals. After that, they had quickly left and headed for the storage units where they would crawl under the gates. _

_ The three girls weaved through the houses and past the Command Center as casually as possible, none of them noticing the Commander and his sheriff standing on the balcony. _

_ "This is how you go OTG?" Avery asked as they crawled under the large fencing and quickly jumped into the jungle, careful not to linger right outside the gate for too long._

_ "Yeah, I've only been caught once. But security usually doesn't watch this part of the fence for some reason. The sensors are always glitchy on this part I think," Skye answered, beginning to walk towards Snakehead Falls._

_ They didn't have to walk for very long, but it was still hot outside, so by the time they reached the meeting spot, they had almost finished two of the canteens. _

_ They had only been waiting a couple minutes when a tall man appeared out of the jungle. All Emma had known before was that he was a spy for her father, but as to how he ended up with the job, she wasn't sure. He was fit, so she guessed he might have been a soldier. He had short, messy, dark hair and light brown eyes. He had thin stubble on his chin, and looked exhausted. His appearance resembled that of the Sixers that Emma had met a while back, but there was also something different. He seemed tough, but not fierce or wild like the group he had infiltrated. _

_ He walked forward, nodding at Skye but not even acknowledging the two other girls at first. _

_ "Good, you're here," he said, "Who are they?"_

_ "Avery Mace, she just joined us...sort of…We trust her, don't worry," Skye told him, "And that's Emma Taylor."_

_ Curran walked towards Emma, standing in front of her. He looked her up and down before chuckling quietly. Her brow furrowed._

_ "So, _you're_ the famous Emma Taylor? Well, it's nice to finally meet you," he said with a small grin._

_ "Famous?" she asked, arching her eyebrows._

_ "What? You don't think Taylor having some long-lost second kid would be a popular topic? I mean, you are quite the talk of the Sixer camp. You _and _your brother."_

_ She stared up at him. She did not want to discuss her brother. _

_ "Well, I'm Curran," he said finally._

_ "And I've never heard anything about you. So why don't _you_ explain to me why you're living out here. I'm sure the Sixers wouldn't just accept a random Terra Novan into their camp…" She looked at him inquiringly. _

_ His eyes darkened minutely before he turned to Skye._

_ "Okay, down to business," he said, clapping his hands together while Emma huffed in annoyance at her ignored question. "Did you bring the plex?"_

_ Skye nodded, giving Emma a quick glance as if to tell her to not bring up her question again before placing her bag on the ground and kneeling beside it. She pulled out her plex then stood up before turning it on. He gestured for her to hand it over. She passed it to him and they watched as he quickly pulled up the map of Terra Nova and surrounding areas. _

_ "Okay, so you guys have an idea about how you're going to get a rover, right?" _

_ Skye nodded. They had almost resorted to asking Hunter to get them one, when Emma overheard some of Malcolm's scientists when she was in Boylan's bar waiting for Josh to be finished with work. They were discussing their work just outside the gates, and bragging about how they got their own rover. Emma had wondered why they were getting a rover for work that was hardly OTG. Skye had explained that it was probably to transport their specimens. They felt a bit bad about it, but they decided that the scientists could carry a few things back into the colony, and they would apologize when they got back. Emma already planned to take full responsibility for the idea of stealing the rover, knowing her friend would already have enough to worry about. _

_ "Good. Well, I'd suggest taking this route," Curran traced his finger across the plex's screen, over a small line that represented a small road. He stopped at a small square on the map. "This is the outpost where I'll meet you."_

_ Emma and Skye nodded in understanding, while Avery stared intently at the map, memorizing everything about the route. _

_ "Just wondering…" the red-head said, "But, how far away is the camp from where we're meeting?" _

_ Curran glanced up at her, eyebrows cinched together. "Uh…it's over here somewhere -" he pointed to a general mass of green on the map "- so a few klicks or so. It's not too far, actually. It's practically the center point between Terra Nova and the Sixer camp."_

_ "And the outpost will be empty?" Emma asked._

_ Skye nodded, "It should be…" Her friend stared at her. "I used to hide my sonic there on my way to and from the camp. It isn't used very often."_

_ "When is this happening anyway?" _

_ "About…four weeks?" Emma replied, glancing at Curran, who nodded. _

_ "Hm, that's still quite some time," Avery said, "How long have you guys been planning this?"_

_ "Since the funeral…so a little less than a month, actually."_

_ Avery thought for a minute, remembering when she saw Emma and Skye wander off during the funeral - the result of her work. Apparently that had been what created their sudden friendship._

_ They spoke for about another half an hour, going over details of all sorts: what time they would leave, when they would take the rover, what time they would meet, and what they would do if any complications were to arise, such as Taylor or the Sixers catching onto their plan early on. Skye and Emma remained relatively silent while Curran delivered most of the plan, but Avery sounded like a curious child, asking questions every two seconds, it seemed. Emma simply figured it was because she was new and just wanted to know what was going to happen._

_ After they were done talking, Curran handed Skye a small, black radio to keep in touch over the next few weeks so they wouldn't have to rely on signals anymore. They silently made their way back to Terra Nova, slipping under the gates quickly. Emma and Skye headed to Skye's place while Avery mumbled something about needing to get to work. The two hung out for a few hours, sitting in the front yard and quietly eating some fresh strawberries as they thought over the meeting and the day's previous events. _

_ "I'm really sorry, you know," Emma said after a while._

_ Skye sighed, nodding. _

_ "I know. I wish you hadn't, but I know you didn't mean to tell her. And, better her than someone we can't trust, right?" she laughed softly, staring at the ground. "But, soon everyone will know, so what's the harm, I guess…"_

_ "Are you scared?" Emma asked quietly, looking over at her friend who gave her a questioning look._

_ "Are you scared about what will happen once everyone finds out…and when my dad finds out…?"_

_ She thought for a moment. "I think…I'm more scared about not knowing what will happen to me. But I'm trying to not to think about it. I know that no matter what, I won't regret doing getting my mom out of there. The same way I'll never fully regret spying for the Sixers. She's my mom, and the only family I have left. I'd do anything to protect her."_

_ Emma nodded in understanding, leaning her head back against the chair and closing her eyes. _

"Nothing really," she said finally, "We just hung out at Skye's house."

"Good, good. It's nice to see you two getting along these days. As I recall, you weren't very fond of each other a while ago," Taylor chuckled.

Emma laughed softly, remembering how angry she had felt when she discovered Skye was the mole, that it was someone who was a sort of "second daughter" to her father that was betraying the colony. But when Skye had explained earlier that day, what was left of Emma's resentment towards her, melted away. Emma understood that desire to risk everything for family. She would do anything she could to protect those she cared about. And maybe in some way, all of the secrecy, the excuses, and the lies, were doing just that.

Avery sat in her living room, staring at the radio in front of her. She had been there for almost an hour, debating her next move. She knew almost everything about the plan, and Skye and Emma seemed to trust her completely. It would be so easy to leave an anonymous note for the Commander, telling them about Skye, ruining everything. Sure, Mira wouldn't be so happy about it at first, but she'd come around when she realized that their first spy had been ready to double cross them.

Leaving a simple note, however, wouldn't be as _fun, _she decided. Maybe going along with it for a while longer, would give her more practice at her lying "skills," since she would most likely become their only spy within the gates once Skye Tate was out of the way. _Not that I need it, _she thought, smirking to herself. But there was no way she could pull it off on her own, if she wanted to do this right and come out fairly clean.

She cautiously picked up the radio, identical to the one Curran had given to Skye, thinking over how much she would say and how she would say it. She turned it on, hesitating before she spoke.

"Avery, here."

"This better be important. You are only to use that radio for things that are high priority," a woman's voice replied.

"Trust me, this is something you're _definitely_ going to want to hear this."


	24. Safe With You

**A/N: **I AM SO SO SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO UPDATE :(((( Last couple weeks of school were killing me then my first week of summer pretty much was all family and I had the worst writer's block with this dang filler chapter. But I had already written Chapter 25, so that should be up maybe tomorrow or Saturday.

I recently saw The Avengers and I want to give a shout out to this awesome story, **As If I Was Human **by **BrokenCalibre **and shout outs to these TN fics, **Thick as Thieves **by **Jemmz **and **Bucket List** by **Emtheunicorn **:D definitely check those stories out

I want to thank everyone who's been reading and being patient with me! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts :D You're all so supportive and I really appreciate it! It keeps me motivated :) And thank you, Jemma, for the quick beta

This is a very very short filler chapter but I really wanted to put it in. I needed some more Josh/Emma :)

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><p>Emma lightly knocked on the Shannons' front door, nervously biting her lower lip. She rubbed her arm self-consciously as footsteps approached. A few seconds later, Josh Shannon greeted her with a confused expression.<p>

For the past few weeks, things had grown quite tense between the two. With everything happening with the plans to save Skye's mother, she hadn't had much time to spend with him. When she did get a chance to hang out, she found it incredibly difficult to focus, the secrets beginning to weigh down on her. She had no clue how Skye had managed this for three years. Josh could sense she was keeping something from him, and it was no surprise if he began to question her about it. As a result, Emma would snap at him for getting on her case. The walls she had built up throughout the past eleven years were stronger than ever. As much as she wanted to have a good time and get along with her boyfriend, she was simply too distracted.

It was the last day before she, Skye, and Avery would embark on their 'rescue mission.' She was so nervous about it all, wondering how it would turn out and what would happen after they got back. And one person kept coming to her mind, one person who she could depend on to comfort her.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi," Josh replied, still holding the door open with one hand.

"I was wondering if you were free today…" She hesitantly shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

He arched his eyebrows as if he were surprised.

"Yeah…I am." Josh examined her anxious expression. "What's wrong?"

Emma shook her head, giving him a small, unconvincing smile. "Nothing."

Josh frowned, no doubt seeing right through the lie.

"Do you want to go to the market? Get something to eat, maybe?" he suggested.

"That'd be great."

Josh nodded and leaned back into the house.

"Hey, Maddy! I'm going out. Keep an eye on Zoe!" he called to his sister before walking out with Emma.

She walked along beside him, playing with a bracelet around her wrist. She found herself staring at the ground as they neared the market place. She didn't know why, but it constantly felt as if everyone _knew, _like they were staring at her all of the time. _This must be how Skye feels. _

"Emma, are you okay?"

Her head snapped up as Josh's voice cut into her thoughts. She glanced around; they were in the market. Nobody was staring at her, no-one even noticed her really. She breathed a sigh of relief before remembering Josh's question.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she lied before switching the subject - something she'd gotten good at. "I'm hungry."

She made her way towards one of the stands and began to examine the various colorful foods. Josh waited a minute before following her. Emma picked up a green fruit, the same kind Josh had tried on his first day. She paid quickly as she let her hair curtain her face, feeling Josh's eyes on her.

Emma handed him one before hitting hers against on the edge of a nearby table, with a little more force than necessary.

Josh arched his eyebrows at her action. "What did that poor fruit ever do to you?" he joked.

She looked up, a confused expression on her face. She held the split fruit in her hands. Her brow cinched together.

"Huh?"

"Uh, nothing…"

Emma chose to accept the answer, handing him one half of the fruit. She moved along the various booths, absentmindedly taking a few bites of the sweet fruit.

They walked through the aisles until they exited the market place. She followed Josh to a few benches against a wall that faced the large, wooden fence. She sat down beside him, eyes trained on the jungle that surrounded the compound. Josh caught her gaze and followed it but didn't understand why she seemed so focused on the outside.

"It never seems so bad from in here…it's hard to believe how much is really out there," she said quietly.

Josh's brow furrowed in confusion but he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but that's what the gates are for, right? To protect us from those big, bad dinosaurs and Sixers." A small laugh laced his words.

Emma shook her head slightly.

"Sometimes that just isn't enough though…" she muttered.

"What do you mean?"

She suddenly realized how she sounded after hearing the concern in her boyfriend's voice. _Way to not sound suspicious at all_, her mind snapped. Emma racked her brain for excuses and explanations for her random statements. Josh continued to watch her, awaiting an answer.

"Well I mean, um, even with the gates up, _we…_" she gestured to him then to herself "…managed to sneak out. And the time you did that before, you almost got killed. Same thing with me, the last time I went OTG looking for my brother. Obviously the gates seem to be able to keep dinosaurs and the occasional Sixer out, but they can't keep us in!" she improvised, laughing weakly.

"Yeah," Josh laughed, "Speaking of, we haven't gone in a while…" Emma's eyes widened. "We should go swimming again, see if you're more brave than you were when I first took you cliff-diving at Snakehead Fa-"

"No!" she snapped without even thinking, as if it was a reflex. "It's not safe…I mean did you miss the part about me saying how we both almost died while OTG?" she added after seeing Josh's expression.

She looked away and continued to eat her fruit. He watched her for a while as an awkward silence enveloped them.

"What's going on with you?" he asked finally.

"Nothing, I told you that."

"I don't believe you, Emma."

Emma frowned but said nothing. She brushed her thumb over the side of the fruit as she stared at it, not quite knowing what to do. She wanted to tell him, so badly. But that wasn't an option and she knew it.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to… I just wish you wouldn't keep shutting me out. You can trust me."

Emma shook her head, staring at her hands in her lap.

"It's not that…I trust you, I really do. I just can't tell you. Not now." She looked up at him to see if he understood.

"I want to help," he told her.

"You can't. I'm sorry, but this is something I need to do on my own," she explained, making sure to leave out her friends' names. "I'll be able to tell you everything soon. I promise."

"Okay." He nodded. "But whatever it is, I want you to know that I'm here for you, Emma. I'll _always _be here."

She rested her head on his shoulder, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," she whispered.


	25. Outside the Gates Again

**A/N: **Sorry this took longer than expected to post! But here it is :D I'm not entirely sure when Chapter 26 will be up, I've started writing it but I've gotten busy with starting a new Roleplay Group(If you like to RP, message me!) I'm making on Tumblr, haha. I'll try to get it up ASAP though! Thank you for all of the favorites, alerts, and reviews, guys! I love youuuuu

And thanks to Jemma for the quick beta :)

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><p>It was early morning when they made their way to the gates. The sun was barely rising, but none of them were tired. Adrenaline pumped through their veins as they glanced around the sleepy colony. Only a few soldiers were out patrolling, not counting those in the watch towers, but none came near the storage units. They did a quick double-take before ducking under the fence and darting into the safety of the thick jungle.<p>

Skye stopped, pulling the knife out of her pack and once again, lending it to Emma who swiftly put it in the ankle sheath. She held her sonic tightly in her hand. Avery remained silent and weaponless as she watched the forest around them. As soon as they were set, they started off. It was early, but they knew the scientists were already out and exactly where they had left their rover. The three had only walked about half of a klick when they were able to see the empty vehicle. They hid behind the foliage, peeking up to be sure that Malcolm's coworkers were gone. It was Skye who ran forward first, jumping into the driver's seat and waving for her friends to join her before placing her weapon in between the two front seats so it wouldn't get in her way. Emma raced around and slid into the passenger seat while Avery hopped into the cramped backseat. Without a moment's hesitation, Skye started the engine (the real owners of the rover had unknowingly decided to help them out by leaving the keys in the ignition) and began to drive.

Skye drove carefully but quickly through the jungle. They traveled along an old, rarely used road. Emma watched the endless green that lined both sides of the road, going over the plan in her mind. _You can do this, _she thought.

They had been driving for only about ten minutes when the rover came to a slow stop. As it halted, there was a low sound that came from the front of the vehicle. Skye pressed down on the gas repeatedly, but it didn't budge.

"What the hell?" she snapped.

Emma's mouth was slightly agape as she glanced from the hood of the vehicle, to Skye, then the jungle surrounding them. She had absolutely no idea where they were, and now their rover wasn't working.

Avery was the first to get out, a convincingly worried expression on her face as she opened the hood. Her brow was furrowed in concentration when Skye and Emma joined her.

"It's dead," she said flatly, poking at the starter.

"What do you mean it's _dead?_" Emma asked, beginning to feel very anxious.

"It's dead, not working, broken down, _useless_."

Skye shook her head in disbelief.

"Maybe we should radio that Curran guy; let him know what happened," Avery suggested, watching the panicked girls with a blank expression.

Emma hurriedly crawled back into the front seat of the rover as Skye moved away from them, biting her lip. It didn't take long before they heard Emma swear loudly, causing them to turn toward her direction.

"It's dead too," she said, frustrated.

"This _cannot _be happening," Skye repeated over and over, pacing as she ran her fingers through her curly hair.

Emma returned to the front of the rover and looked around. "So what now…? We're stuck out here."

"Well, maybe someone will come and find us," Avery said hopefully.

"Avery! Nobody knows we're out here. We _stole _a God damn rover and now it's dead and we're in the middle of nowhere!" she snapped.

The red-head frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. Skye continued to walk back and forth, on the verge of a breakdown. Emma turned and made her way over to the distressed girl.

"Skye, we'll figure it out, okay?"

"How? Like you said, nobody knows we're out here. The radio's dead, and Curran's going to think we bailed or something…and my _mom_…" Skye's voice trailed off as her eyes became fixated on a distant tree, mind wandering.

"Hey," Avery piped up, walking toward them from where she had been standing beside the rover. "Why don't we just walk there? We can't be too far, and maybe Curran can just take us back…It might mess with his plan to stay with the Sixers longer, but it's a hell of a lot better than just sitting out here."

Emma and Skye exchanged glances.

"I think she might be right," Emma said, "It's probably closer than Terra Nova, and it might be our best chance at getting back in one piece."

Skye gazed at the ground for a long time. There was no doubt that the Commander's spy was headed for the outpost. Maybe he was already there, waiting silently with her ailing mother. She tried to think about what he would do if they didn't arrive. Would he be worried and go looking for them? Or would he really assume that they had decided to not come at all. Would he take her mother to Terra Nova himself, or would he attempt to sneak her back into the camp?

The two other girls looked at her inquiringly. Finally, Skye nodded in agreement.

Avery gave them a tight smile and nodded back.

"Okay, so it's decided. We'll go on foot," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I guess so," Skye replied, moving towards the rover to get her pack and weapon. Avery shook her head.

"I've got it." She walked back to the vehicle. Once her back was to them, she let her small smile break into a wide, accomplished grin.

She reached in and pulled out Skye's pack and sonic before heading back to the two girls that waited impatiently.

"Here you go…gun's inside." Avery handed her the backpack. Skye slung it over her shoulder without a question.

"Let's get going," Emma piped up.

Skye took the lead, Emma following close behind.

"Hurry up," Skye called back to the red-head.

"Coming!" She pulled her shirt down to hide Skye's sonic pistol that she had tucked into the small of her back. Avery lagged behind, a foolish grin still on her face. She couldn't help but enjoy the fact that they were walking right into her trap.

"The Sixer camp isn't too far from here…so I think we're almost to the outpost…" Skye said as she pushed aside a large, green leaf and continued to walk.

Snap.

Emma froze. "What was that?"

Skye continued on, not having heard a thing. "What was what?"

"That sound…" she turned slowly, a frown quickly appearing on her face. "Avery?"

She looked around, but there was no one behind her. Emma could hear that her other friend had stopped walking. She glanced around in confusion.

"Wh-where is she?" Skye called to her.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, her voice was nervous. Avery was gone.

"_Shit!_ Do you know when the last time you saw her was?"

Emma's gaze fell to the ground as she racked her brain, trying to remember. She really hadn't looked back much during the past half an hour of walking. She had no idea when Avery could've disappeared. She didn't even know how. She looked up at Skye and shook her head.

"What do we do? She must've gotten lost or something… We can't just leave her out here…" Emma said worriedly.

Skye thought for a minute, her expression conflicted.

"You're right, but we can't wander around here looking for her. We have no idea when we got separated. How about we meet up with Curran and maybe he can help us? I think it'd be safer…"

Emma reluctantly agreed, staring at the thick jungle behind them. It was quiet now, making her wonder what had made the noise. How long _had _Avery been missing? Had she gotten lost? Did something get her when they weren't paying attention? _Did she leave on her own? _Each possibility worried Emma more and more each second. But Skye was right; the chances of finding her on their own were slim and running around the jungle with really nothing to protect themselves was already a bad idea. Curran was their best chance.

"Alright, let's go."

"We're almost there, that way…" Skye pointed past a small clearing not too far from where they were. It was lit up, the sun pouring into the area that resembled a little meadow. The dense, darker jungle surrounding it seemed to light it up that much more.

"Good…" Emma mumbled, brushing her dark hair away from her face and wiping her forehead. Even though they weren't coming in contact with a lot of direct sunlight due to the thick canopy, it was still hot out.

Skye trudged through the plants in their way as Emma stumbled behind her, not as used to going OTG as her friend.

"So what'd you do yesterday?" Skye asked as she pulled a vine out of the path she was making. "You know, our 'last day' and all," she joked dryly.

"Stop calling it that…it was not our last day," Emma retorted, desperately wanting to avoid thinking about all the negative possibilities that could occur upon their return. "Everyone will understand…they'll get it. Skye, you didn't have a choice."

"Yeah." She sounded unconvinced.

Emma continued to follow after Skye in silence, tugging her ankle away from a mass of vines she'd stepped into. They entered the clearing slowly. Skye had made it clear earlier that while they were close to Sixer territory, they needed to be careful. The clearing would leave them exposed and vulnerable while they passed through.

Emma watched as Skye glanced around, scanning the tree line and open field. Sensing no danger, Skye waved behind her.

"C'mon, let's go."

The girls began their walk through the ankle-deep green grass, moving as quickly as possible. Emma had originally wanted to go around, as they would have constant cover from any threats, be it Sixers or dinosaurs. But Skye had said that they would have a better chance of getting lost in the oddly thick jungle and it would simply take longer than cutting through the clearing. They stuck close together, turning their heads every once and a while to make sure there was no one following them.

As they neared the end of the clearing, Emma could hear rustling in the foliage nearby. Feeling paranoid, she stopped, straining to see if she could hear it again.

"I'm _very _hurt that you didn't come looking for me, you know," a sarcastic, menacing voice came from the tree-line. "And here I thought we were becoming _great _friends."

Emma spun around, wide-eyed. Avery was leaning against a tree, arms crossed over her chest, an amused expression on her face as she smirked at the two girls in front of her. The fiery red-head seemed overly confident as she watched them.

"Avery…w-we were going to go look for you after we met up with Curran…" Emma began to explain, but was quickly cut off by Skye.

"Where the hell have you been?" she snapped, angered by Avery's lack of concern. "We're supposed to meet with Curran and you're off running around in the jungle?"

"No need to freak out. Let's just say…I had a _better _idea about what we could do today," Avery said cheerfully.

"Wh- what are you talking about?" Skye's brow furrowed as she glared intently at the smug girl.

As Avery's smirk grew bigger, Emma began to look around the tiny clearing. Her hazel eyes grew wider as figures moved out of the foliage all around them.

"Skye," she whispered, grasping her friend's arm.

"What?" Skye was still staring at Avery, clearly unaware of the new addition to the run-in.

"_Sixers_," she choked out.

Skye's mouth was slightly agape as their so-called friend's expression quickly became prideful. Avery nodded as if to confirm her thoughts, then turned to glance behind her. Emma and Skye's eyes followed her gaze.

"Oh my God…_Mira._"

The woman stepped out of the shadows that had concealed her. The two girls were frozen in place as the Sixers advanced towards them.

"Hello Skye," she sneered, glaring at her intently.

Skye didn't respond, her lips forming a tight line as her eyes darted back and forth between Avery and Mira.

"And _Emma, _nice to see you again… I must say, I'm surprised to see you here under these circumstances. I never thought the Commander's daughter would be one to associate with a traitor. I guess you really are your brother's sister."

Emma scowled, clenching her fists tightly. This only made Mira smirk. Skye slowly moved to reach into her bag and pull out her sonic, keeping her eyes trained on the people in front of her.

"Ah ah ah," Avery said, stepping forward as she pulled out something from behind her back; Skye's gun. "You forgot this in the rover, by the way. But don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it for you."

Skye opened her mouth to say something back, but decided against it.

"That's what I thought," the red-head retorted. She looked down at Emma's ankle where she still had the knife sheath. "And don't even bother with _that; _a knife at gun fight?"

"Bitch…" Emma muttered, furious.

"_What?_" Avery snapped, taking another step forward.

"You heard me."

Avery's hand flinched as if she was going to hit her, but Mira interrupted.

"_Enough_," she growled, sounding irritated.

Avery gritted her teeth as she and Emma continued to glare at one another. Skye stood in silence, wondering if Curran had managed to get her mother out or not.

"Why don't we continue this elsewhere?" Mira suggested, glancing at the two girls before giving a couple of her men behind them a quick nod.

Before they could protest, Emma heard Skye gasp and slump to the ground unconscious. Suddenly something hit the back of her head, starbursts clouded her vision as she fell forward and the darkness swallowed her whole.


End file.
